


We Can Figure It Out

by AliceMayWrite



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Ben is the ultimate wing man, Cute, Domestic Fluff, Drunken Shenanigans, Eventual Smut, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Gay Panic, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Sex, Panic Attacks, Parties, Pregnancy, Secret Relationship, Sickness, Working through problems together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:07:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 99
Words: 182,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25707916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceMayWrite/pseuds/AliceMayWrite
Summary: Ann kissed Leslie when they were drunk during "The Fight." And now she's freaking out. But maybe Leslie likes her back, and maybe something is happening. But what does this mean for Leslie and Ben, and can the two women keep their budding relationship under wraps? (written for Flor)
Relationships: Leslie Knope & Ann Perkins, Leslie Knope/Ann Perkins
Comments: 273
Kudos: 67





	1. And Another Thing

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rashidaamy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rashidaamy/gifts).



> I was given two prompts by Flor: "they make out after the fight and are scared to talk about it the next day" and "they are secretly dating and people in the parks department start to suspect and pick up on things"  
> so I figured why not combine them? sadly this won't be a ben/leslie fic, but I have a few of those in the works!!

“Remember the time Ann made out with someone and we had to work out who it was?”  
Leslie made Tom jump as he entered the office with a cup of tea.  
“If this is a riddle, I’m not interested,” Tom whined. “Not only have I lost the shares of Snake Juice, but I think Snake Juice attempted to murder me last night!”  
“That’s great Tom,” Leslie said. “But would you say she’s the type of person to regret kissing someone when she was drunk? Especially if they were… arguing?”  
Tom froze up, before turning to stare at Leslie with a very Tom-esque grin on his face.  
“Hold up, hold up. Did you and Ann _kiss_ last night?!”  
Leslie groaned and put her head on the desk. “I think we did. I mean, I remember it. And while I’ve had frequent sex dreams about pretty much everybody I know, this felt very real.”  
Tom decided not to follow up on the sex-dreams comment right away. “Didn’t you guys make up after she went to the interview? Surely it’s fine to talk about it?”  
“I don’t know! I just made friends again, if I dropped _that_ bombshell, she might hate me again!”  
“Only one way to find out, _Lez_ -Bomb!”  
“Oh, ha ha. But you’re right. Oh god, this sucks.”  
She stood, frantically sweeping lots of things from her desk into her bag, including a few ornaments of various political buildings. She power-walked out of the room, but then Tom was at her shoulder.  
“Answer me one last thing.”  
“Sure?”  
“Was I good in the dream?”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Shut up, Tom.”

***

Ann had just confirmed her meeting with Chris for the following morning. It seemed like she was set on getting the job, and while Leslie had been a pain about the whole thing initially, now she knew more about it all, she was actually pretty excited.  
There was something else, though. Ann had a vague, almost haunting memory from the night before, something slightly harder to unpack than the fact they had fought.

_“Not everything is your fault, stop making it your fault!” Leslie drunkenly told her.  
“Well yeah, it isn’t all my fault!”  
“Why are you so angry? I’m just pushing you in the right direction!”  
“You have no right to do that!” Ann practically roared.  
“I’m just thinking of what’s best for you!”  
“Well don’t!”  
A short silence. And then Ann was leaning over and kissing her passionately. It went on for a good ten seconds before Ann pulled back.  
“Oh, and another thing-”_

Ann didn’t remember whatever the other thing was, but she _definitely_ remembered kissing Leslie while in the height of their argument. She had no idea what it meant but thinking about it too much when she was hungover just made her feel worse.  
Not only that, but she had _just_ told Ben to ask Leslie out. Maybe because she didn’t want to admit to herself that maybe, just maybe, she liked Leslie. God, there were a lot of feelings going on here. Leslie liked Ben. And Ben liked Leslie. And Ann liked Leslie.  
Oh god oh god this was a huge mess and-  
Ann was too busy overthinking that she wasn’t looking where she was going and ended up bumping into Leslie. _Of course she did._

“Woah! Where are you going in a hurry?” Ann asked, trying to laugh. Leslie looked like she was going to be sick. Was it because she had seen her, or because she was _actually_ going to be sick??  
“Uh- erm- hey!”  
“Are you okay?” Ann asked, concerned. Leslie tried not to retch.  
“Yeah! I’m fine!” Ann frowned.  
“Are you still annoyed at me?”  
Leslie panicked. “No! Of course not!” Then she sighed. Maybe it was best they just came out with it. “I need to talk to you about something else,” she continued. “Can we talk in my office?”  
Ann smirked, trying not to let the panic show. “Hm. Very formal.”

***

“Okay, so here’s the thing,” Leslie said quickly as she shut the door. Ann slowly moved to sit on the desk as Leslie shut the blinds. Tom was nowhere to be seen, which was a great thing, but Leslie locked the doors just to be safe.  
“Uh- are you about to murder me?” Ann asked, trying to chuckle. Leslie spun around.  
“Ann! Why would you even joke about that, you sly temptress?” Ann watched as Leslie fumbled with her hands. “Okay, so…. Last night. I don’t know if you remember, but-”  
“I kissed you,” Ann finished. “When I was angry.”  
Leslie let out a short breath. “Wait, you remember? Oh god- Ann- were you wanting to just forget about it? I’m so sorry, now I’ve brought it up and made it weird and oh god do you not want to be friends with me anymore? I just finished cross-stitching a pillow for you and-”

Ann leapt up and put her hands on Leslie’s shoulder.  
“Leslie, out of the two of us… shouldn’t it be _me_ freaking out?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I kissed you! I didn’t even ask you!” Leslie paused to consider.  
“Oh. Well, I don’t mind.”  
“That’s not the point, you- _wait._ You don’t mind?”  
“No! Of course not!” Leslie took a deep breath. “I kind of liked it, actually.”  
Ann felt a massive weight lift off her chest. “Oh right, well… that’s good. But what does that mean? I mean, you like Ben, and I wouldn’t want to get in the way of that.”  
Leslie shrugged. “I honestly don’t know what it means. But I’m sort of amazed at how little I’m freaking out right now. I mean, I was before, but now I’m not.”  
“Me too. I mean… now I know you’re okay with it. And I’m glad we can talk about this like normal people. I just don’t want to get in the way of you and Ben, that would be awful, and okay maybe I am still freaking out a little-”

Leslie cut Ann off by kissing her gently.  
“Was that okay?” she asked softly. Ann nodded.  
“Of course.”  
“It’ll be okay, Ann.”  
Ann let out a shaky sigh, trying not to laugh. As if it was _Leslie Knope_ calming her down, and not the other way around.  
“How can it be okay?”  
“I… Ben is lovely. But I don’t think I like him that way.”  
“Wait, really?!”  
Leslie swallowed. “I think the more we try and unpack this, it gets more stressful. For now, can we just be happy it happened? And figure it all out later?” Leslie asked her gently. Ann swallowed, before nodding.  
“I’d like that. I’d really, really like that.”  
“Okay. You’re my best friend, Ann Perkins.”  
“You’re my best friend, Leslie Knope.”  
Leslie kissed her again, just quickly.  
“Although I gotta’ admit, I really like that we can do this.”  
Ann chuckled, before mirroring Leslie and kissing her. The two of them giggled, suddenly feeling quite euphoric.  
“We don’t have to figure it out yet,” Leslie promised Ann.  
“It’ll be fine,” Ann found herself saying. “You’re right. We can figure it out.”

  
  



	2. Telling Ben

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie talks to Ben. Then she talks to Ann.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I genuinely don't have any idea how many chapters there will be, I'm just sort of going with it haha

It had been two days since Ann and Leslie started… whatever this was. And even though neither of them had put labels on it, both of them were content that way. Rushing into something, even though they both felt strongly, was something they didn’t want to do, just in case they messed up whatever this was.  
They had only kissed. And that was okay with them- in fact, Leslie in particular felt quite nervous to do anything else.  
“Not because I don’t want to,” she wrote in her journal. “But because I think Ann has had way more experience than me in _that_ area, and I don’t want to mess it up and oh god.”

There were some other problems as well. The two of them had agreed (rightfully so) that nobody from work would know yet. But that meant that, eventually, something would come out- no pun intended.  
“I can just imagine Tom’s annoying face when he does find out,” Leslie said to Ann as they sat on Ann’s sofa, Leslie’s head in her lap. Ann was slowly running her fingers through Leslie’s hair and, while she was listening to her ranting, she was primarily focused on how amazing this felt.  
“I know,” Ann replied slowly. “And since we don’t even know what this is, I’d hate for them to find out and ruin it.”  
Leslie sat up, and Ann suddenly missed the contact.  
“Are you worried about this?” Leslie asked, gesturing between the two of them. Ann’s eyes widened.  
“No! I’ve wanted this for ages, Leslie.” Leslie nodded.  
“Me too. Well, maybe not as long. It takes me a while to figure things out. But now I have it…”  
Leslie reached over to cup Ann’s cheek. “I’m not letting it go.”

Ann tried not to shudder at her words. Leslie’s hands drifted down to her neck, and Ann had to bite her lip to stop herself from letting out a loud breath. Luckily for her, Leslie plopped herself back down in Ann’s lap, and Ann could resume the much tamer act of stroking her hair.  
“And what am I going to do about Ben?”  
Ah yes, Ben. That was the other problem.  
“He’s a great guy, Les,” Ann reminded her. “I think if you tell him you don’t like him, he’ll accept it.”  
“But I think I need to tell him the _truth_ if I’m going to end whatever that was.” She paused. “But wait. Isn’t that a little unfair to kind of… dump it on him and expect him to keep us a secret? Oh god, I don’t know what else to do! If I give him no explanation, isn’t that _just_ as bad? Ugh!”  
Leslie sighed, and looked up at her expectantly. Ann was at a loss.  
“I really don’t know, Leslie. But I always think honesty is the best policy.”  
“Ugh, you’re right. Of course, you’re right. You’re so smart.”  
Ann chuckled.

***

“Hey, Ben, can I talk to you?”  
Ben was stopped in the corridor by Leslie, who was looking incredibly troubled.  
“Woah, hey, are you okay?”  
“Yeah I-” She was okay. Everything else was fine, it was just _this_. “I need to tell you something, but I don’t think you’re going to like it.”  
Ben ushered her into the nearest empty room, shutting the door softly. When he turned, he saw Leslie was filling up.  
“Are you okay?” he asked quickly.  
“Yeah! I am, except… listen, Ben… I don’t think I like you.” Ben jerked.  
“Have I said something?”  
“No, I mean _like_ you. I like you. But I don’t… want to be with you. I’m sorry.”  
Ben let out a tiny breath. “Oh.”  
“I’m so sorry.”  
“That’s- uh- that’s okay. Can I ask why?”   
Leslie squirmed. “That is… certainly a question you can ask. And I suppose you do deserve to know, but… well… it’s hard to… formulate the exact reasons why without divulging some information…”  
Ben raised an eyebrow. “Leslie. You can tell me- you know I wouldn’t say anything.” He leaned in his voice lowering to a whisper. “Is it Ron?”  
Leslie barked out a laugh. “ _Ron?_ Are you kidding?! No- it’s Ann!”

As soon as she spoke, Leslie clapped her hand over her mouth, gasping.  
Ben, sensing her distress, quickly put his hand on her arm. “Leslie! It’s fine. It’s fine.”  
“Oh god.”  
“I won’t tell anyone. I promise.”  
And, looking at his face, she knew he was telling the truth.  
“I’m sorry, Ben. I do like you as a friend.” Ben smiled.  
“It’s okay. Are you okay? When did this all happen?”  
“After the snake juice incident. When we all got super drunk. The day after.”  
Ben nodded quickly. “I see.” Then he smiled. “You know, now I think about it… you guys make a cute couple.”  
“I don’t know what we are yet, but I just really didn’t want to lead you on. And I wasn’t even going to tell you the reason first, but you deserve an explanation. I’m just sorry you have to keep it a secret.”  
Ben nodded. He was gutted, but he appreciated her honesty.  
“Of course I’ll keep it a secret. Outing people is never fun, even if I previously liked one of them.”  
Leslie found herself bringing in Ben for a hug and squeezing him tightly.  
_“Thank you_.”  
“Any time. And I’m happy for you, really. When you guys figure it all out, I’m sure it’ll be great.”  
“I’m happy for me too. Although now I’m going to dedicate all of my waking hours to finding you the perfect partner.”  
Ben chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll succeed. Otherwise you wouldn’t be Leslie Knope.”

***

“How did it go?” Ann asked when Leslie appeared at her door a few hours later. Instead of answering, Leslie kissed Ann passionately, the two of them melting into the kiss. It was the first time they had gone for it in such a way, and it had never felt so good before.  
When they pulled away, the two of them had to take a second to catch their breath, the two of them resting for a moment. Their foreheads touched.  
“It was fine,” Leslie finally whispered. “He understood.”  
“Does he know?”  
“He does. But I trust him.”  
Ann smiled. “I know.”  
“Ann, I still don’t know what we are. But I don’t want you to feel rushed. We can keep it a secret as long as we like.”  
“And we can go as slow as you like,” Ann promised. Leslie winced. “What’s wrong?”  
“I just- I don’t want you to think badly of me for not being ready. Like, not just for labels but for… _other stuff_ ,” Leslie said with a sigh.  
“How could I?” Ann asked, a little shocked. “Leslie, sweetie… you don’t have to worry. If anything, I’m still a little confused about what this is. But we’re figuring it out together, right?”

Just hearing her say it made Leslie feel one million times better.  
“Are you sure?”  
Ann nodded. “Of course. I know you tend to- err- overthink things. A lot.”  
Leslie laughed. “I guess.”  
Ann didn’t need to know how long she had spent worrying about it, but judging by the soft look on her face, maybe she already _did_ know.  
“Leslie,” she murmured, taking her hand and leading her to the couch. “You don’t have to worry.”  
“I know. I just… Wow, I think I really like you. And at first it was just a _hey she’s an amazing friend who I love_ kind of thing, but _now_? I don’t want to mess this up.”  
“You won’t,” Ann promised. “You really won’t. I would never forgive myself if I rushed you, okay?”  
Secretly, Ann had liked Leslie for a while. Leslie was always a little bit too distracted to work through her feelings, but with Ann, she was often quiet and thoughtful. Maybe she had even repressed it a little. But drunk Ann had wanted to hurry things along, before it was too late.  
“Okay,” Leslie whispered. Ann smiled as Leslie kissed her again.  
“I know you’re still figuring it out. But all these kisses are something I’m getting used to.”  
“Well _that_ I can provide.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!


	3. Suspicions in the Workplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie deals with her colleagues, some of whom are getting suspicious. Meanwhile, Ann wants to ask Leslie out officially, but it's all about finding the right time.

“Hey Leslie, how come you and Ben aren’t hanging out as much? Did he do something wrong? Oh my god. Do I need to beat him up?”  
Andy’s voice was loud in Leslie’s ear. She tried to laugh it off.  
“What are you talking about? You used to, like, race with him everywhere and stuff. Now I barely see you guys together.”   
Andy looked a little down, and Leslie looked at him curiously.  
“What’s up, Andy?” Andy squirmed.  
“I just- I gave Ben some advice when we were drunk. I hope I didn’t mess things up for you.”  
Leslie smiled, and had to pull him in for a hug. Andy squeezed her tightly, and she was reminded why he was so popular as the shoeshine guy.   
“You didn’t, Andy. And we’re good friends! I think we just realised we’re not meant to be.”  
Andy nodded slowly. “I get that. Wait- is there someone else?” Andy started laughing uncontrollably. “Oh my god, is it Ron?!”  
Leslie threw up her hands. “It is not Ron! I don’t have anybody else, but if I _did,_ it would _not_ be Ron!”

“ _What_ would not be Ron?” Ron asked as he walked into the room holding a mug. “I appreciate the lack of work being done, but I do not appreciate my name being yelled, Leslie.”  
Leslie grimaced. “Sorry, Ron.”  
“I was trying to work out who Leslie’s new boyfriend is!” Andy cheered happily. Ron’s face soured.  
“And you assumed it was me? You should know by now that Leslie is _not_ my type.” He turned to Leslie and awkwardly punched her shoulder. “No offense.”   
“None taken. And for the last time, I do _not_ have a secret boyfriend!”  
Which was the truth. She had a secret- _girl_. Who was her friend. Who she kissed. Not a girlfriend.  
“Andy go back to the shoeshine stand and leave Leslie alone,” Ron ordered. Andy whined.   
“ _Fine._ See you later!”  
He ran out the room, and Leslie heard a crash, followed by a: _I’m okay!_ Then she turned to Ron.  
“Oh, Ron, thank you.”  
“Hm.”  
With that Ron left, and Leslie was incredibly grateful that he couldn’t give a hoot about his colleague’s personal lives.

***

Ann was just finishing her shift when she got a text from Leslie. She had to smile- especially since she had added two little hearts next to her name.   
**Leslie: Andy was asking about me and Ben. Got slightly dicey but I saved it. (18:03)  
** Ann snorted, feeling a rush of affection for her.   
**Ann: I bet you were great. Wanna come round? My shift just ended. (18:03)  
Leslie: I am already outside your house. (18:04)  
**Ann full on belly laughed in the hospital lift, prompting a few confused glances from other nurses. Once the lift door opened, Ann sprinted all the way to her car, struggling to keep the smile off her face.

Things had felt so much better now Leslie was something more. And while they hadn’t made it official yet, it was all Ann thought about at work. When she was taking people’s temperatures, or even once- quite embarrassingly- when she was stitching up someone’s arm and called the man “babe.” He hadn’t minded, but she had spent the rest of that appointment wishing he would stop giving her suggestive looks.  
And while they were still “figuring it out,” Ann was pretty certain she knew what she wanted. It had been scary to take that first leap, even though those feelings had been building for a while. But the next logical step wasn’t scary in Ann’s brain. Even though she was fairly sure Leslie was still figuring it out.

***

“Hey Ann!” Leslie shouted from her doorway as Ann walked up the path.  
“Hey! So work was interesting?”  
“Ann, keep your sultry voice down!”  
Ann watched as Leslie looked left and right. Once she was certain the coast was clear, Leslie planted a kiss on Ann’s lips. And do you know what? It never got old.   
“Hey,” Leslie whispered, her voice finally at an acceptable speaking level. Ann chuckled.  
“Hey.”  
Ann let her inside, and Leslie made short work of taking her shoes and coat off and leaping onto the couch.  
“It was actually Ron who saved my ass back there,” Leslie explained as Ann was taking off her coat. “His strict no-personal-talk policy is going to be great for us.”  
“That is great!”   
“And,” Leslie continued slowly. “I’m having a lot of fun sneaking around, I don’t know about you…”  
Leslie paused to kiss Ann again. Ann laughed breathily.  
“I’m very much enjoying it.” Leslie ran her hands up and down Ann's arms, and Ann melted into the touch.  
Now wasn’t the time to ask her to be her girlfriend. That time would come soon- hopefully.

***

The next week it was April who was suspicious.   
“Leslie!” she yelled. “Why are you smiling?!”  
“What do you mean?” Leslie asked, immediately dropping the smile. “I was thinking about parks.” That was technically true, but she was more thinking about the date she was going to ask Ann on. They would kiss in the park, and then Leslie would show her the plans she was drawing up for a new water feature. And then they would kiss again, and share a waffle, and-  
 _“You’re doing it again!”_   
Leslie made a show of rolling her eyes. “What’s wrong with being happy, April?”  
“Happiness is _gross_. You should try being _moody_ sometime.”  
“Okay, sure.”

Leslie jumped a little when April suddenly launched out of her chair, stopping inches away from her face and squinting at her.  
“Something’s different. I know your park smile. This is a different smile.”   
And then April was grinning, which scared Leslie a little because she looked very wicked when she did that.   
“You’re in love!” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I know you’re not with Ben. He brings girls around to the house sometimes. And I know you’re not the type for an open relationship.”  
Leslie felt a rush of happiness on Ben’s behalf. She had made multiple binders filled with potential girls (and boys) for Ben that she had planned to showcase to him the next time they met up. But maybe he was doing just fine on his own.  
“Leslie. You can tell me anything, you know that?” April asked. Leslie smiled slightly.  
“Oh, I know. Thanks April!” That was sweet. She wasn’t directly asking, but she was there to rely on, when the time came.  
“But whatever you tell me, I’ll have to tell Andy. And he’s terrible at keeping secrets. And whoever you’re dating needs to be cleansed in the woods at night. I’ve got a great witch robe.”  
“Ah… thanks?”  
“No problem.”  
And then she was gone, and Leslie was left wondering if she should just move workplaces all together.

  
  



	4. A Much Needed Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann have a conversation about their relationship, and it sheds some light on things that needed to be said.

It had been a month. Things were going well. But with every passing day, Ann thought more and more about how she wanted to ask Leslie out. Ask her out and tell everyone because, god, Ann was so happy she could tell the whole universe. But Leslie seemed really content being hidden. And while that was fine- Ann had said herself that she never wanted to rush her, she was a little surprised. Leslie was the type of person to yell everything out to the rooftops, and Ann was starting to worry that maybe Leslie didn’t like her as much as she liked Leslie.

It was all she could think about, especially when they were hanging out. Which they were doing today- a movie day.  
Ann felt a small dash of fear and grimaced slightly as she sat down. And _of course_ Leslie noticed.  
“What’s wrong?” Leslie asked her nervously. Ann sighed.  
“I just- I know we’re going slow, but… I was thinking about the whole… going further thing. And I know it’s only been like a month, but I’ve liked you for ages.”  
“I’ve liked you for ages too,” Leslie interrupted. “I thought it was just intense admiration. _Boy,_ I was wrong. In fact, I had a sex dream about us like, the first week we met.”  
Ann raised her eyebrows. “Oh, wow.” She made sure to remind herself to ask her what that entailed later on. “I just… I think I’m ready for the next step. But I know you might not be, and I don’t want to force it by any means.”  
“Oh,” Leslie muttered. “Well, I’ve been thinking about it. A lot.”

That was true. Leslie had spent many _many_ hours thinking. A lot of the time was wondering what her sexuality was. Not that it mattered, but it was something she had spent time fretting over. After a while, she had decided that she liked _Ann_. For the moment, that was all that mattered, and maybe the rest would figure itself out later.  
That seemed to be her motto at the minute. Take things slow. Let things become clear over time. And she could see why that might frustrate Ann a little, because Ann seemed to be way more secure in her sexuality. She knew she could rely on Ann for support, but they were both dealing with very different internal thoughts. Ann was already thinking about the next step, whereas Leslie was fixating on the present.

Leslie snapped out of her musings when Ann grabbed her hand.  
“Hey,” Ann whispered. “Where did you go?”  
Leslie sighed. “Ann, I’m sorry I’ve been so unsure.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann said quickly.  
“Not really. I mean, I’ve spent so much time trying to work this out that I’m not letting us progress. I’m sorry.”  
Ann felt bad. “Don’t be sorry for being confused. You’ve never been with a woman before, especially not your best friend.”  
Leslie nodded shakily. “That’s another thing, too. What if we ruin what we already had?”  
Ann laughed. “I think it’s a bit late for that, don’t you think? Besides, I’m not planning on ending things. Are you?”  
“Of course not. I just wish I was ready for things to go further. I _want_ to be able to gush over you, and tell everybody how happy I am. Because I’m _so_ happy, Ann.”

Her words made Ann so happy, but then felt that rush of panic again.  
“Do you… do you want to go further, though? I have to admit, I’m a little… I don’t know. Hurt that you don’t seem more excited about this. I’ve seen you get excited about new maple syrups being shipped to Food and Stuff.” Ann sat back a little, creating a small distance between them.  
“Ann…”  
“And that’s not me saying I want us to come out yet, I know you’re not ready. I just feel a little like you don’t like me as much as I like you.” Leslie’s eyes widened, and Ann rushed to continue. “I don’t know. And I’m sorry, because this is all irrational and I want to make sure you know your feelings are valid-”  
“So are yours,” Leslie said instantly, taking her hand. “And _of course_ I want you. I think you’re right- I’m not ready for us to come out as a couple yet. But… well, I’ve been thinking about us for so long. And I think I’m ready for the next step.”  
“Are you sure? I don’t want to rush you! I shouldn’t have said anything, I’m sorry.”  
“Ann Perkins,” Leslie said firmly. “I’m glad you told me how you’re feeling. You’re always telling me to be honest. And if it’s been worrying you, I’m glad you told me.” She paused to chuckle. “God, I’ve had so many thoughts whirring in my head lately, but all I really know is that I like you. A lot.”  
Ann smiled her signature, cute smile. “You do?”  
“Of course I do! And I want you to be my girlfriend.”  
Ann’s heart raced. “Y-you do?”  
“I do!”

The two women kissed passionately.  
“I want that too, you know that right?” Ann asked breathlessly. Leslie barked out a laugh that made Ann wince a little, smiling.  
“I do, Ann!”  
Then they were kissing again, and Leslie shuddered a little as Ann’s hands travelled under her top. And then her hands were unclasping her bra and discarding it on the floor. Leslie let out a breath as Ann explored her chest, their kiss deepening. That went on for a few minutes before Ann’s hands were travelling down, down….  
It felt amazing, but then she was pulling away. Ann stopped straight away, looking at her in concern.  
“Are you okay?”  
“I’m not ready. I’m sorry.”  
Ann kissed her gently. “Don’t be sorry. It’s okay.”  
“I will be soon, I promise. It’s just so new and different. _Good_ different, obviously. But I’m not quite ready for that yet.”  
“That’s okay,” Ann whispered. “Leslie, that’s okay.”  
“Can we still kiss for a while, girlfriend?”  
Ann giggled. “Of course. But I do want you to tell me about that sex dream you had,” she said with a wink. Leslie laughed, and pulled her in again, until their faces were less than an inch apart.  
“Well, it started in a park…”  
  



	5. The Secret Is Out (Sort of)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann aren't great at hiding their relationship, and someone sees them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love April and Ben's dynamic so much honestly

Leslie got out of a meeting to see Ann Perkins- _her girlfriend-_ standing outside the room with two cups of coffee.   
As the other members of the government filtered out, Leslie could only stare at her with a wide grin, at least until everyone had left. Then she was looking left and right, and quickly kissing her on the lips.  
“You’re the best,” she whispered. Ann grinned.  
“Am I really?” Leslie nodded.  
“You are a stunning, powerful rainbow fish.”   
“Oh yeah?”  
“You really are. I mean every word.”  
Ann snorted. “What are your plans for this evening?”   
Leslie pretended to think. “Hm- I think I have some work to fill out, then I might make some waffles and watch a movie…”   
Ann smirked. “In your house by yourself?”   
“Yeah. I have no people to see tonight and absolutely no girlfriends to kiss.”  
Ann punched her lightly in the shoulder. “Hey!”  
Leslie grinned back. “I’m kidding. I want to kiss you.”  
The two women looked around again, before Ann kissed her gently. Leslie groaned.  
“Ugh, I know I said we need to be more careful at my work but you’re just _too irresistible, Ann_!”  
“Hell yeah. I’ll call you after work, okay?”  
“Okay!”  
Leslie watched Ann leave, a small smile on her face, before turning and practically skipping back to her office.

***

April had been investigating for the past six weeks. She _knew_ that Leslie had a secret partner. She used to think boyfriend, but now she had expanded the horizon to women too, because she had been able to rule out pretty much every male that Leslie knew.   
Tom was annoying. Chris was too eager. Can you imagine the two of them together? It would be sickeningly sweet- April would definitely have to murder them both in their sleep. Ben was seeing that stupid reporter woman. Not that she cared, but it made her slightly less miserable seeing Ben happy. Sort of like how seeing Jerry slip on a banana peel made her slightly less miserable.

She was pondering buying a tarantula when she turned the corner of the corridor. She spotted Leslie and Ann talking _very_ close together. She tried not to barf. Those two were sickeningly close friends. Not only was Ann wicked and evil, she-   
_She just kissed Leslie._  
April ran back around the corridor, her eyes wide. Okay, maybe she had told Leslie that once she found out who her partner was, she would tell Andy. But April already felt like she was imposing. If those two weirdos wanted to be in love then who was April to spread that? Besides, it was fun keeping secrets. And as much as she loved Andy- he would _never_ be able to keep that hidden. And the last thing April wanted was for them to be outed.

She pondered this for the whole of the day, right up until Ben drove she and Andy home.  
“I need to take a dump!” Andy announced when they returned home, running to the bathroom and slamming the door. Ben used to be surprised by this behaviour, but now he brushed it off like it was nothing. He sat down at the table and started pouring through some papers.   
April watched Ben. Ben had liked Leslie. And now he was seeing someone else. Does that mean he knew about Leslie and Ann? It wasn’t like Leslie to let someone down and not say why- April was fairly certain Ben would have moped about for weeks if that was the case. But he hadn’t- in fact, he had moved on quite quickly.

April narrowed her eyes and studied Ben just as he looked up from his paperwork.  
“Can I help you?” Ben asked.   
April would have to play this carefully. _She_ knew the secret, but if Ben didn’t, she could risk someone else finding out unnecessarily.   
“How’s it going with that girl?” April droned. Ben squinted at her, confused.  
“Since when do you care about my personal life?”  
April shrugged. “I dunno. I just thought you and Leslie were a thing, that’s all.”  
Ben flinched, his eyes widening slightly. And there it was. April had studied hypnotism for many moons, and part of that was about knowing people’s facial expressions very well.  
“Err- no, no…” Ben muttered, blushing. “Leslie isn’t into me. Which is fine.”  
April nodded, smiling slightly. “That’s a shame.”  
“Not really… it’s fine! And I’m enjoying dating people, really.”  
“I wonder if Ann is single?” April mentioned casually, secretly loving the way Ben squirmed uncomfortably.  
“I don’t think I’m her type- I mean I don’t think she’s my type.”  
“Do you think she goes for blondes?” April asked wickedly.

Ben squirmed again, but then it was like a switch flicked in his head. He looked up at April, his eyes narrowing.  
“You- you know?”  
April sat down in the chair opposite, looking around to make sure Andy wasn’t about to enter the room.  
“I saw them today. They’re _not great_ at hiding it.”  
Ben smiled slightly. “They’re in their honeymoon phase, can you blame them?”  
April rolled her eyes. “That’s gross. Besides, they’re risking somebody seeing them. I think we need to protect those two idiots just in case.”  
Ben grinned. “Oh yeah? What did you have in mind?”  
April thought for a second. “I want to simultaneously protect them _and_ bully them at the same time. Is that possible?”  
Ben chuckled. “I’m sure we could find a way. As long as those two are happy and safe, I don’t see why we can’t mess with them a little.  
April grinned. “Ben! A side of you I finally like!”  
“We _live together._ ”  
“Yeah, and I hated you up until just now.”  
“Ugh.”


	6. "The Park Friend"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> April does some (friendly) messing. Leslie's Mother is getting suspicious.

The messing started the next day- a Friday. April sauntered into work with a grey hoodie covering her face, hiding her wicked smile. She was so excited to start messing that she didn’t even say anything mean to Jerry on the way in, and Jerry smiled so widely he walked into a pillar.  
Even Andy noticed April’s perky mood, and when he kissed her before leaving to head to the shoeshine stand, he grinned.  
“You’re in a good mood today, babe!”  
“Yeah. I’m channeling the dark forces to do wicked deeds.”  
“Cool! I love you babe, you’re so weird!”  
“Thanks.”

As soon as she got into the office, she spotted Leslie, who through the window she could see was on the phone. She was smiling, twirling the chord of the phone between her fingers. If April wasn’t disgusted by gross declarations of affection, she would think this whole situation is pretty cute.  
April banged on the door, and Leslie quickly said goodbye and ran over to the door.  
“April!”  
“Hey so there’s this guy I know who might be your type,” April said straight out. Leslie wrinkled her nose.  
“Is it Orin? April!”  
“It isn’t Orin.”  
“April, listen…” Leslie looked around. “Between us, I have somebody in my life. Okay?”  
April raised an eyebrow. “Okay.”  
And then Tom was there. “Leslie you have a boyfriend? Who is he?!”  
April could sense Leslie’s panic, so she squared up against Tom, watching him flinch. “That’s none of your business. And if you ask again, I’ll cast a spell on you so nobody ever finds you attractive.”  
“What! No!”  
“So don’t ask!” April yelled.  
“Fine!”  
April moved to sit at her desk, grinning. Not only had she made Leslie think about Orin, her weirdest friend, she had also scared Tom away so he wouldn’t ask questions. Messing in a good way was super fun.

***

Ben spotted Leslie walking down the corridor and gave her a friendly wave.  
“Hey!” Leslie called, approaching him eagerly. “How are you? How’s it going with Shauna?”  
“Good, I think!” Ben replied. “We’ve been on a few dates. She’s really nice.”  
“Well if she even _thinks_ about treating you badly, I have six or seven hotties who might be able to take her place,” Leslie said matter-of-factly. Ben raised his eyebrows.  
“Good lord. That many?”  
“Yep! I was serious when I said I wanted to find you the perfect girl.”  
Ben chuckled. “I appreciate it, Leslie. You’re a good friend.”  
“So are you, Ben!”  
“Send my regards to Ann,” he said with a wink. Leslie shoved him.  
“Alright, alright. I will, though!”  
The two of them high fived before moving on with their day. As Leslie walked away, she sighed happily. It really seemed like everything had worked out with Ben, and she was so happy. He really was just a nice guy- he hadn’t even flinched when she said she was with Ann; he had taken it in his stride.

The current problem now was the risk of people finding out. April had been surprisingly defensive this morning, keeping Tom’s questions at bay. But she really would have to make sure she and Ann kept it more subtle in work. The thought of everyone knowing was still really scary. Because it wasn’t just Leslie dating her best friend. It was Leslie dating a woman, and that would create so many questions. There would be a lot of people asking her about her sexuality, and if Leslie herself didn’t even know, what on earth would she tell all the people who were eager to know her business?  
Not only that, but she had no idea how her Mother would react. She knew very little about Ann’s family, and Ann seemed content to keep it that way. And while Leslie knew her Mother was liberal and (relatively) open minded, inevitably she would want to know absolutely everything about her life, and Leslie was quite content to keep it special, just between her and Ann. Just for them.

***

It was a twist of fate, really, that Leslie should get a call from her Mother not thirty minutes after thinking about her.  
“Leslie, dear! It’s good to finally get a word from you!”  
“Well, yeah, you did call me! Sorry, I’ve been pretty busy.”  
“Too busy to call?” Marlene said in a dry tone. “You ring me at _least_ twice a week, and now I can barely get a call in once a fortnight!”  
“Sorry! I’ve had a lot of work!”  
Marlene snorted. “Hardly. You relish that kind of thing. I think you might have a man in your life that’s taking up your time.”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Uh- I wouldn’t say that….”  
“Oh, come on! I’m practically dying for something interesting here!”  
“Well, I’ve become very close with Ann Perkins,” Leslie tried.   
“Oh yes, The Park Friend.”  
“Uh- yeah. The Park Friend. Hey… sorry Mom but I need to go now, I have another meeting.”  
“It’s ten to five!”  
“It’s with Ron!” Leslie grimaced. She knew for a fact Ron would already be packing up to head home. If he even _thought_ he had a meeting with her when he was meant to be heading home, he would probably fire her.  
“Alright, then. I’ll speak to you soon.”  
“Thanks. Bye!”

Leslie hung up and let out a long sigh. She would have to talk to Ann for a long time about what was going to happen regarding her Mother, Marlene, and there was _no way_ she was going to tell anybody without Ann being okay with it first. Telling her Mother was one thing, but then that would be an external person knowing about Ann, and potentially spreading it.  
She would talk about it with her tonight, when they were both at home. They were at Leslie’s house tonight- alternating houses was fun and exciting, and Ann had actually forced her to tidy up her pigsty of a household, so that was nice. Especially since she was a borderline horder with definite problems. Oh how she loved having a sensible girlfriend who actually cared about her life.

***

Ann was heading to City Hall to pick up Leslie when she caught April leaving the building. She was trailing behind Ben and Andy, who were talking avidly about something. It was bizarre, really, but since Ben had moved in with them, it seemed like he was much happier. And it was doing Andy good to speak with someone way more mature than him that he wasn’t sleeping with.  
Ann was planning on walking past April with a friendly wave, but April took the time to call out to her.  
“Are you meeting Leslie?”  
“Uh- yeah!” Ann called back, confused as to why April was taking an interest.  
April grinned. “I’ve cursed you both. Have a terrible weekend!”  
Ann laughed. The fact April was even commenting on her weekend was a step up from the usual, which was cold indifference. Anything was better than cold indifference.  
“Thanks, April! You too!”  
“Ew.”

When she finally met Leslie, her girlfriend looked flustered.  
“What’s wrong?” Ann asked her, kissing her forehead. The two of them left the building walking side by side, but as soon as they turned the side street where Ann’s car was parked, their hands brushed together. It made a spark run up Ann’s spine, making her shiver. They both got into the car and, finally, they could kiss in peace.  
“My Mother is getting weirdly interested in my life,” Leslie explained finally. “I wanted to talk to you about whether or not we should come out yet. And to who. And all that... stuff.”  
Ann sighed softly. “Okay. Let’s talk.”


	7. An Argument and a Hole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie tells her Mother about she and Ann, but Ann isn't too impressed. Leslie falls into some trouble at the park.

“I want to tell people,” Leslie said quickly. “Not necessarily everybody, but some people. I…” she smiled. “While I’ve loved sneaking around, I don’t think I can keep it to myself anymore.”  
Ann smiled. “Me neither. Although…” she winced. “I don’t think I want my parents to know yet. They’re not as liberal as I’d like, and I think I should drive down and tell them in person.”  
Leslie nodded eagerly. “That’s fine! Wow, I can’t wait to tell people at work.”  
Ann grinned. “Yeah?”  
“Yeah! Can you imagine the look on Tom’s face? Ooh! What about the look on Jerry’s face? Or the look on Ron’s face!”  
Ann laughed. “We should tell them next week. We can plan it out, maybe invite them out for a drink or something?”  
Leslie kissed Ann on the lips. “You’re so attractive when you’re talking about planning.”

***

The weekend went by without a hitch and soon it was Monday again. And, as expected, Leslie got a call from her Mother around lunchtime that day.  
“Mom!”  
“Leslie! Are you _finally_ free to talk?”  
“I am! Listen… can I meet you for lunch?”  
“Sorry dear I have to meet with one of my lackeys and go over some documents.”  
Leslie sighed. “Why did you even bother calling then- you know what, it's fine. I guess this conversation will just have to happen over the phone, then.”  
“What conversation? What’s going on?”  
“Mom- I’m with Ann.” Silence. “I don’t know what I am, like, _sexuality-wise,_ but I wanted you to know. Mom?”  
“Oh, Leslie! This is great news! I’ll be able to back so many of those LGBTQ supporters in my next speech.” Leslie coughed, forcing her Mother to back-pedal. “And, obviously, I’m proud of you. Finding someone you want to share your life with, regardless of gender… it’s a good feeling.”  
Leslie smiled. “It really is.”  
“I have to go now, but I want to meet with you soon to discuss this!”  
“Okay! Oh, by the way, can you maybe keep it quiet? I’ve not told anyone at work yet, and I really don’t want Ann’s parents to find out somehow. She wants to tell them herself.”  
“Of course darling. I won’t say a word to anyone.”  
Leslie let out a breath of relief. “Thank you.”  
“You know me- subtle as anything!”

***

Ann was typing at her computer when she got an email from-  
“Marlene Griggs-Knope?” Ann said aloud, confused.  
She skimmed the email. It was basically a formal greeting, welcoming her to the family. Ann felt her stomach sink. Leslie had clearly told her Mother already. And if this woman was savvy enough to find _her_ email address, who’s to say she wasn’t already phoning her parents right now?  
“Oh shit!”  
Feeling a rush of anger, Ann stormed out of her room and went to find Leslie.

“Leslie!” Ann called, entering her girlfriend’s office. Leslie was just finishing up on the phone.  
“Okay, wow. I’ll be there soon. Bye!” She hung up and stood up, smiling at Ann. “Hey Ann- oh what’s wrong?”  
“Your Mother just sent me an email welcoming me to the family,” Ann said bluntly. Leslie grinned.  
“Aww, that’s so sweet!”  
“ _No,_ Leslie. What if she calls my parents? I told you we should do this slowly, with friends first!”  
Leslie scrunched up her face. “Hey- you never said I couldn’t tell my Mother. Besides, I told her not to tell your parents! She was just being nice!”  
“Leslie, we had a plan. If someone from my family finds out, who knows what will happen!”  
Leslie felt a rush of sympathy. “Hey, I’m sorry. We can figure this out-”  
“It might already be blown! I can’t believe you told your Mother without telling me! We’ve been keeping it a secret for weeks, and as soon as you decide you want to tell people, you immediately let it go too far!”  
Leslie leant back, stunned, before moving away from her. Ann saw the hurt on her face, but she’s too frustrated to care.  
“Ann- I’m sorry. But you’re being a little unfair. I told my Mother not to tell people.” A silence. “Anyway, I need to go with Tom to sort something out in the park. I’ll… speak to you later.”  
Leslie left without another word, leaving Ann silently fuming. She watched Leslie walk away, a frown on her face.

***

“You seem distracted, Leslie, what’s wrong?” Andy asked as they walked through the park. He and April had decided to tag along with she and Tom, purely because “work is too boring.”  
“I’m fine,” Leslie muttered. “Now where did they say this hole was?”  
Tom checked his phone. “Uh- right around here.”  
“I don’t see it,” Leslie said, walking a few paces away from them. “Are you sure th- AAAH!!”  
The other three whipped around to see Leslie disappear through the floor and land with a thud. They all sprinted over to the hole, which had been covered with grass to prank somebody.

“Are you okay?!” Andy yelled. Leslie groaned.  
“I think so- but now I’m stuck in this hole!”  
“If you die in there what should we do with your house?” April asked. “Can I move in?”  
“No!”  
“It’s fine,” Tom said quickly. “Uh- I’ll call the fire department!”  
“No!” Leslie called again. “I was going to try and work with them on a project to teach young people about fire safety. We can’t call them here, I’ll lose all credibility!”  
“Is that even for this department?” Tom asked.  
“No!”  
“Ugh, Leslie, why are you so career-driven,” April whined.  
“Hey, it’s so hard to see you down there,” Andy said with a chuckle. “Is it dark?”  
“Relatively, yes!” Then an idea came to Leslie. “Tom- go and get Ron! I know he keeps rope in his office at all times!”  
There was a few seconds of silence.  
“Has he gone?” Leslie called.  
“Yeah!” Andy replied, laughing. “He’s running back through the park. He looks so funny when he runs.”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. Could this day get any worse?

***

Ann had cooled off after about an hour. She was still irritated at the situation, but the more she thought about it, the less it seemed like Leslie’s fault. If she had a Mother as liberal as Leslie’s, she would have probably wanted to tell her straight away. And it was kind of cute that Leslie was so excited that she was telling people already.  
No! She was annoyed! Leslie didn’t know what it was like to have a family that weren’t accepting, and if it somehow got back to them, Ann had no idea how they would react. The fact she was this nervous proved she had something to worry about. But then there was Leslie’s face after Ann had yelled. Ann had never wanted to be the reason she looked so upset.  
Ugh, it was all a mess.

Ann was walking to get a coffee when she saw Ron and Tom sprinting down the corridor. Ron had some rope and a grappling hook.  
“Woah!” Ann called, stopping them in their path. “What the hell is going on?”  
Tom doubled over to pant, and Ann rolled her eyes and looked to Ron.  
“Leslie fell down a hole in the park.”  
Ann felt her stomach drop. “What?”  
“Yeah-” Tom gasped. “It’s super deep and really dark down there. She didn’t want the fire department-”  
“-because of her plans with them,” Ann finished in a whisper. She had heard about those plans. They were good plans.  
“We need to move,” Ron said, and the two men continued to run down the corridor. Ann ran after them, her heart thumping in her chest.

***

The whole drive there, Ann felt the guilt coming on in strong waves. What was she thinking, saying something like that to her girlfriend? They could have very easily talked it through, but Ann had jumped to being aggressive.  
She must have been frowning quite a lot, because Tom looked at her in the rear-view mirror.  
“What’s with your face?” Tom asked. “Honestly, Ann, I think she’s fine. It was actually sort of funny when she fell in. I can re-enact it for you later!”  
“Shut up, Tom,” Ann groaned. She felt Ron’s eyes on her, but he said nothing.

When they got out the car, Ann could see Andy and April crouched by the hole. It sounded like Andy was singing something.

_Leslie, you’re in a hole  
You want to spread your wings and fly  
Fly out of this hole  
But you can’t because you’ve got no wings  
And you’re in a hole_

Ann felt a little bit of relief when she heard Leslie shout up to him in her signature tone.  
“Andy, that was great, but I think maybe it needs a hook right before the chorus?”  
“Ooh! Good idea!”  
April stood up. “Hey, Ron is here with a hook.”  
“Like a song hook?” Leslie called up.  
“No, a grappling hook,” Ron announced. He attached it onto the ground and threw the end of the rope into the hole. Ann watched nervously as there was a second of silence.  
“Okay, I’ve got hold of it!”  
“It’s secure up here,” Ron told her. “You should be able to just climb up.”  
“Okay!”

Out of the corner of her eye, Ann could see April staring at her. But it didn’t look like the usual irritable staring, it felt different. Ann looked down at her hands. Maybe she was wringing them too much, but at this point she didn’t care. As far as they were concerned, her best friend was stuck in a hole, so she was going to do whatever she wanted.  
After what felt like ages, Leslie’s hands appeared at the top of the hole, and there were cheers from everyone as Ron pulled Leslie out. She looked ruffled, and her trousers were muddy, but Ann was just so happy to see her.

“Are you alright, Knope?” Ron asked. Leslie grinned at him and pulled him into a hug.  
“Ron! You saved me!”  
“Hmph. You’re welcome.”  
Leslie stepped around from Ron and made direct eye contact with Ann. Her eyes widened, and Ann wasted no time in closing the gap between them and kissing her passionately. After a few seconds she pulled away.  
“I’m so glad you’re okay, I was so worried-”  
“I’m fine, I promise. When I was down that hole all I could think about was you, and I’m sorry-”  
“No, I’m sorry!”  
The two of them kissed again, but froze when Tom’s voice chimed in.  
“Uh- what the hell?”  
The two of them broke apart.

_Oops._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so gay ffs. Hope you enjoyed!


	8. The Secret Is Actually Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann just dramatically kissed in front of their friends- whoops!

“Uh-” Leslie started, turning to look at the gang.  
It was quite funny, really. April looked totally bored, aside from a tiny smile on her face. Andy had his hands up on his head, and he was grinning widely. Tom’s eyes were popping out of his head, and Ron looked as stoic as ever.  
“Are you two dating?!” Tom finally yelled, pointing between the two of them. Leslie swiftly realised that she had her arms around Ann’s waist, so pulled away from her and coughed.  
“Err-” she looked at Ann, who was blushing furiously, but grinned at her.  
“So much for the plan,” she muttered, before addressing the team. “Yes! We’re dating!”  
“WE’RE DATING!” Leslie yelled, prompting everybody to cover their ears and wince. “Sorry!”

“I knew,” April said suddenly, and Leslie and Ann looked at her in surprise.  
“You did?!”  
April rolled her eyes. “Duh. You guys are terrible at keeping a secret. I saw you kissing.”  
“Oh- err- sorry!”  
“It’s fine. You’re cute.”  
Leslie and Ann looked at each other, pleasantly surprised.  
“Yeah, you guys are so cute!” Andy yelled, squeezing April tightly. She rolled her eyes, smiling.  
“Oh my god,” Tom said loudly. “Are you two both gay?” Ron quickly thumped Tom in the shoulder, which made him squeal. “Owie! RON!”  
“Can it, Tom,” Ron said, before nodding at the two women. “Congratulations.”  
Leslie nodded back, smiling. “Thanks, Ron.” Then she turned to Ann. “I guess the only thing we can plan now is a way to prank Jerry.”  
“Oh my god- yes!” April said with a cackle.  
“He and Donna are the only two people that don’t know,” Leslie explained. “Oh- and Chris.”  
“OH MY GOD YES!” April yelled. “We have to prank all of them somehow.”  
“So… Ben knew?” Andy asked, confused. “You both knew and didn’t tell me?” He sounded hurt.  
“Sorry babe, I didn’t want to out them,” April said, and Andy nodded.  
“Yeah, that makes sense. I’m terrible at keeping secrets,” he said with a grin.

Leslie moved to walk away when she felt a shooting pain up her leg.  
“Ow!” she yelped, wobbling. Ann was quickly at her side, grabbing her arm.  
“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”  
“Jeez- I think I must have landed funny when I fell into the hole.”  
“Do we need to phone an ambulance?” April said monotonously. “Or do you have something planned with them to help stupid kids as well?”  
Leslie paused her wincing to shoot her a look, and April held up her hands, smiling slightly.  
“Okay, let me see,” Ann said sternly. Ron moved over so Leslie could lean on his shoulder as she held up her leg. While Ann inspected it, Leslie looked sheepishly at Ron, who kept a hold of her arm while she wobbled around.  
“I guess I was full of adrenaline, I had no idea that- OW!”  
“Sorry!” Ann said quickly. “So… it hurts when I touch there?”  
“YES!”

Ann straightened up and lowered Leslie’s leg gently.  
“I think it’s a moderate sprain. There’s some swelling there, but I don’t think it’s broken.”  
Tom bent over to inspect the damage. “Ew! Leslie! Your foot looks like- ow Ron! I was just asking a question- why did you hit me again?!”  
Ann kissed Leslie’s cheek. “We need to get some ice on that, babe.”  
"Guess we'd better go home then," Leslie announced.  
“I’m on it!” Andy yelled, before picking Leslie up.  
“Woah!” Leslie yelled, before laughing. “Andy!”  
“My husband is strong,” April deadpanned. “You’d better pick me up like that later.”  
“You got it, babe!”

***

Ron drove the two women back to Ann’s house, before helping Leslie to the door.  
“Thanks, Ron,” Leslie said, giving him another hug. “For getting me out the hole.”  
“I remember.”  
“Will you be able to hold down the fort for the rest of the day?”  
Ron sighed. “I’m sure I can get Donna to do some tasks for me.”  
“Ooh! We need to find a way to prank her!”  
“Too late for that!” Tom called from the car. “I already texted her- she says she ships Knopekins already!”  
“ _Knopekins?_ Did she _actually_ say that?” Ann asked with a raised eyebrow.  
“Well- she sent three thumb emojis to _my_ message about shipping Knopekins!”  
“Okay, well, we just have to prank Jerry and Chris then. Probably just Jerry.”  
Ron chuckled. “I’m excited to see it. Have a good evening, ladies."  
He gave the two of them one final, friendly nod, before he walked back down the path. Ann and Leslie waved at Andy, who was furiously waving at them through the window. Behind him was April, but she wasn’t waving. Not that Leslie wanted her to.

Ann quickly unlocked the door and then looped her arm around Leslie’s shoulder.  
“Hey,” she whispered. “You can let your guard down now.”  
Ann felt Leslie sag a little against her shoulder, like a long exhale.  
“I didn’t want to cry in front of my friends, but I was _so_ tempted,” Leslie said through sniffles.  
“I know, babe.”  
Ann helped Leslie sit down on the sofa, before disappearing from view. Leslie winced a little, feeling the throbbing pain emanating from her ankle. When Ann returned, she had an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel, as well as an elasticated bandage.  
“Luckily for you, I’m a _sexy_ _nurse_ ,” Ann said with a wink as she put it on.  
“Oh, you _definitely_ are.”  
Leslie watched as Ann stacked some pillows up. “I need to put your leg on here,” she explained. “I’ll lift it, but it’ll hurt.”  
“That’s fine Ann, you beautiful wildflower.”  
She gritted her teeth as Ann moved her leg, but once it was elevated and wrapped in an ice pack she could finally relax.

“Hey,” Ann whispered, before reaching over to wipe a few tears. “Are you okay?”  
“It hurts,” Leslie whimpered.  
“I know.” Ann left for a second, reappearing with a glass of water and some painkillers.  
“I don’t want to give you too many yet in case it slows down the healing,” Ann said as Leslie took them. “So hopefully this ice pack will numb it.”  
“Thank you, Ann, you're so intelligent. You're so intelligent and talented.”  
Ann clambered onto the sofa, and now both women were lying lengthways. She ran her hands through Leslie’s hair and kissed her forehead.  
“Listen,” she murmured. “I’m sorry about getting angry this morning. It was stupid.”  
“No, you had every right to be. I was just so excited…”  
“I know,” Ann replied with a smile. “I’m a little sad we couldn’t announce it to everyone like we planned.”

They sat there in silence for a second.  
“ _But_ you dramatically kissing me in front of our friends was pretty cool too,” Leslie countered.  
“It was. Do you think Tom’s eyes could get any wider?” Ann said with a chuckle.  
“Ha! I think he might have peed his pants.”  
“Oh, definitely.”  
Ann leaned over and rested her head on Leslie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry again.”  
“Don’t say sorry Ann.”  
“No, saying sorry is important.”  
“Well… I’m sorry too. And thank you for helping me with my brave injury.”  
Ann smiled into Leslie’s hair.

  
  



	9. Always a Doofus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann rings her Mother. Leslie confesses something while in pain.

Leslie fell asleep soon after dinner. Ann wasn’t too bothered by this- she had been filled with adrenaline for a lot of the day, and it had been quite an emotionally exhausting one already.   
She still had her leg propped up on the sofa, and Ann sat next to her, holding her phone in her hands. She needed to talk to her parents about what was going on.   
For some reason, she couldn’t work out how they would react in advance. They had never openly expressed _homophobic_ views, per say, but neither of them seemed too thrilled by the idea of her cousin getting a boyfriend. How would they react when it was their own daughter? 

Leslie sighed softly in her sleep, leaning on Ann’s shoulder. Ann smiled down at her, before finding her Mum’s contact info. Screw going slowly- as long as Ann herself told them, and was able to control the situation, it may as well happen sooner or later. She hit ring. Ann needed to tell them about the amazing woman in her life- she was with Leslie whether they liked it or not.   
Ring. Ring.  
 _“Hello?”  
_ “Hi Mom.”   
_“Why are you whispering?”_  
Ann felt Leslie move beside her again, so she decided to extract herself and have this conversation in the bedroom instead. As soon as she stood up she immediately missed the warmth of her girlfriend, but Leslie would have to wait. This was an important call.

“Sorry, I can talk louder now. How are you?”  
 _“I’ve been well. I haven’t heard from you in a while. How’s nursing?”  
_ “Uh- it’s good! And the other job in city hall is going well too.”  
 _“Oh, yes. I still think it was a bad move to take that job.”  
_ Ann rolled her eyes, happy she could do so here without her Mother seeing.   
“Listen, Mom, I was hoping we could meet up soon? Maybe I could drive down and see you, or you and Dad could come and see me?”  
 _“That sounds like fun! It’s been a while since I saw Pawnee. Maybe I could find some time over the next few weeks. Is there any particular reason you want to see me?”  
_ Ann felt herself getting irritated. “Just to see you! Let me know when you’re free, okay?”  
Her Mother’s snarky answer was drowned out by a loud cry from the other room. Ann jumped in surprise.   
“Listen- I have to go I… I can smell my dinner burning!”  
 _“Honestly Ann, you really need to-”  
_ “Speak soon!”

Ann hung up and threw her phone on the bed before sprinting out into the living room. She saw Leslie lying on the floor, clutching her leg.   
“Ann!” she called loudly. “I think I fell off the sofa!”  
“You think?” Ann said, exasperated. She crouched next to her girlfriend and helped her sit up.  
“I must have rolled over and gone splat. Ow, that hurts.”  
“Aw sorry,” Ann said, feeling guilty. “I left the sofa to ring my Mum. If I was there you might not have gone- err- splat.”  
“Oh well,” Leslie huffed as she heaved up into a sitting position with Ann’s help. “How did it go calling your Mum?”  
“Fine I think,” Ann replied. “I’m going to meet with her over the next few weeks.”  
“Do you want me there?” Leslie asked, grabbing Ann’s hand. Ann smiled at her.  
“I would love you to be there, but I don’t know how it’s going to go.”  
“I could always sit in a car outside with my sneak-around clothes on in case you need a quick escape?”  
“Now _that’s_ my girlfriend!”

Ann helped Leslie stand up. She winced a little as Leslie squeezed her shoulder, but she knew that her girlfriend was feeling ten times worse.   
“I think I might have a few bruises,” Leslie admitted. “My whole leg hurts. And the other one now, too. Just a bit.”  
After helping her into the room, Leslie took off her trousers. Ann looked away for some reason but when she looked back, sure enough, there were six or seven black bruises on her legs. Leslie breathed in through gritted teeth.  
“That explains it!”  
“Babe,” Ann whispered.   
“The ankle hurts more than them,” Leslie replied quickly, as if that helped.   
Ann hurried out to get the ice pack. When she returned, Leslie was wiping a few tears away.

“Leslie,” Ann said softly. “It’s okay to cry if it hurts.”  
“I know, I just…” Leslie trailed off, so Ann helped her get comfortable.  
“What?” she asked, climbing in bed next to her.   
“I don’t want you to think I’m a mess. I feel like I’ve been such a doofus lately.”  
“What?!” Ann asked, confused. “Babe, I would never think that. Sure, you fell down a hole, but there’s nothing to be embarrassed about!”  
“ _I fell down a hole_ , Ann! You’ve already seen me fall into a pit! I wish I could be cool but I just- ow- I _can’t_. You deserve someone cool as hell. I’m just useless.”

That was when Leslie burst into tears, and Ann had no idea what to do except to squeeze her tightly and stroke her hair.   
“Babe, you’re so tired and you’re in a lot of pain,” she finally whispered. “Do you want some more painkillers?”  
“Yes- please-” Leslie said through sobs. Ann’s heart clenched.   
“I’ll get you some water,” Ann whispered, kissing her on the head.   
When she left, she felt awful. Leslie was hurting, but the worst part was that Ann had no idea how long this insecurity had gone on for. For all she knew, the roots of it began when they were still friends. Was this why she always gave Ann such intense compliments? Did she genuinely think she wasn’t good enough for her? Which was utterly ridiculous, Ann noted strongly to herself.

When she returned, Leslie was still crying. Ann handed her the medication and the water and watched as Leslie took it.  
“Hey,” Ann murmured. “You know I think you’re incredible, right?”  
“No, Ann.” Leslie said sleepily. “Listen.”  
Leslie yawned loudly, and moved to lean against her heavily, practically pinning her against the bed. It was a good job Ann was in her pyjamas, because there was no way she was moving now. Leslie yawned again and Ann waited patiently, trying not to smile widely. The medication was clearly kicking in.   
“I know I say it all the time but this time it’s different. I love you.” Ann froze, her eyes wide. Leslie didn’t even notice. “I love you so much, and I just feel so lucky to even- to even be near you. I never thought I would get somebody like you. I’ve been such a failure when it came to- (yawn) to relationships and I just… _I love you so much_.”

Ann took a second to let that sink in.   
“Leslie… wow, I-”  
A loud snore. Ann looked down to see that Leslie was now fast asleep against her.   
“Oh, for god’s sake,” Ann muttered. She kissed Leslie’s forehead before sitting back, a little stunned.   
Of course she loved Leslie. She loved Leslie more than anything, and now all she wanted to do was tell her. And at some point they needed to talk about her clear insecurities that she had.

_Leslie loved her. Leslie loved her._

And she loved Leslie. So much.  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	10. Vitamin K

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben brings soup. Chris shares wisdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry I haven't updated in a few days, I've been moving house. hope this one is okay!!

Ann lay awake for a long time, before finally drifting off around one in the morning. Leslie slept all night, which was a good thing really, since Ann didn’t know the last time that she had done that.

_I love you. I love you._

The next morning, Leslie woke up groggily to see Ann rummaging through the wardrobe. Leslie blinked up at her.  
“G’morning,” she slurred sleepily. Ann turned around and fixed her with a big smile.  
“Hey! How are you feeling?”  
“I’m okay,” she replied. “Not in as much pain today. Maybe I should go into work.”  
Ann put her hands on her hips and Leslie tried not to smile under her stern gaze.  
“Leslie,” Ann scolded. “You’re staying off today. And maybe tomorrow.”  
“But Ann! I have so many things to do!”  
“You can do them from home!” she said loudly, but her face was smiling.  
“Fine!” Leslie replied, sitting back in bed and wincing slightly. Ann frowned, but then Leslie gave her two thumbs up, making her smile.

This was a common discussion amongst the two- back when they were just friends and Leslie had to take a day off for whatever reason. It was familiar ground.  
What _wasn’t_ familiar ground, was the fact Leslie had said she loved her. Romantically. Ann wasn’t going to mention it if she wasn’t, but she was starting to think maybe Leslie didn’t remember saying it. She decided to prod her a little.  
“So, uh, do you remember our conversation last night?”  
Leslie squinted. “Honestly, I was a little zonked last night. Was it about your parents? I think you’re meeting them soon?”  
Ann’s heart was beating loudly in her chest. “Uh- yeah. That was it. Anyway!”  
Leslie looked at her curiously, but then Ann turned around and retrieved whatever it was she was looking for in the wardrobe, which turned out to be a pair of crutches.  
“I was thinking last night,” Ann explained, “And I remembered that Andy never actually got rid of these, so you can use them today while I’m in work!”  
“Aw, Ann!” Leslie practically shouted. “You beautiful, resourceful stallion. Thank you!”  
Usually Leslie’s compliments made her laugh, but Ann felt weird today. Maybe it was lack of sleep. Or the fact that her girlfriend had said she felt incredibly insecure and then said she loved her and didn’t remember.

Yeah, that was probably it.

***

Ann left for work within the hour, once she had gotten ready and helped Leslie with the crutches. Leslie was pretty competent, so Ann felt safe leaving her by herself.  
She kissed her goodbye, and then Leslie was alone to sit in Ann’s house. She had work with her, but something was niggling at the back of her brain.  
Had Ann been acting strange before? Was something going on?  
She swiftly realised she wasn’t going to be able to figure this out, so she threw herself into her work. The Leslie Knope way.  
Six and a half binders later, it was lunch time. She had texted Ann on and off during the day, but it was soon clear that she wouldn’t be free to come home for lunch, so Leslie was really pleased when she received a call from Ben saying he would pop around to drop off some soup.  
_“The chicken soup? If that’s okay?”_ Ben had asked over the phone.  
Leslie grinned. “Yes! Thank you!”  
_“I might bring Chris too, since he’s spent all morning talking about great exercises to do when your legs are sore.”  
_“Oh… cool!”

Ben and Chris arrived at around half twelve. Leslie made her way to the door and opened it, grinning. Ben gave her a big smile, but nothing compared to the smile Chris gave her as he leapt in front of Ben and pointed at her intensely.  
“ _Leslie Knope!”_  
“Hi Chris! Hi Ben!”  
“How are you doing? You fell in a hole?" Ben asked as they came into the house. Leslie tried to laugh.  
“Heh, yeah. Only my pride was injured. And both my legs. But I’m fine!”  
“I _have_ to ask,” Chris said, spinning to face her. “Have you been eating food with a lot of vitamin K?”  
“Vitamin K?”  
“It is simply _wonderful_ for bruises. Broccoli, soy beans and, most importantly- _kale_.”  
“Err, I’ll probably just heat up Ben’s chicken soup and then eat a waffle,” Leslie countered.  
“Protein is _also good_.”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Ben admitted. “I was worried when I heard. Well, the details mostly surrounded what happened _afterwards…_ ”  
“Oh, yeah,” Leslie muttered, going red. “That wasn’t my proudest moment.”  
Chris looked at them in confusion. “What happened?”  
Ben and Leslie looked at each other. Leslie looked confused, and Ben gave her a look that said _I didn’t want to tell him without your permission!_  
Somehow, that look made Leslie feel a lot better.  
“Oh, err… yeah. I kissed Ann in front of everyone." Chris was still confused, so Leslie was forced to explain further. "Ann and I are dating. Romantically.”  
Chris’ face brightened. _“Ann Perkins?”  
_“Yeah,” Leslie said. “She’s been amazing while I’ve been hurt. It’s really…”  
Leslie trailed off, making Ben and Chris glance at each other. They both jumped when Leslie suddenly screeched, putting her hands on her head in panic.

Ben’s eyes were wide. “Are you-”  
“Oh _Jesus Christ._ I said I loved her last night when I was really high on pain meds. Oh god, oh god!”  
“Is that bad?” Ben asked. “It’s kind of sweet, really.”  
“Ben, we’ve barely been dating a few months. We haven’t even- I mean, we’re still _new.”  
_“You have been friends for a while though,” Ben opposed.  
“No wonder she was acting weird this morning! I was so gone last night, oh lord.”  
“If I can cut in,” Chris said from behind the sofa. The two of them turned to see him doing lunges. “I think that _communication_ is _vital_ in a relationship. When she comes home tonight, simply talk about it. A love that strong is so _powerful,_ Leslie. You have my _full support_.”  
He finished his final lunge with a flourish, before fixing her with a cheerful grin.  
“Wow, thanks Chris,” Leslie said slowly, a smile on her face. “Maybe I should.”  
“Yeah,” Ben added. “Don't worry, it’ll all be fine.”  
The two smiled at each other.

***

Ben and Chris left soon after, once Ben had heated up Leslie’s soup and Chris had looked through Leslie’s work binder and given her a gold star. He literally carried gold star stickers around in his pocket, and he gave Leslie one. She wasn’t ten years old, but it really made her smile for some reason.  
Soon, it was the evening, and Leslie was sat on the sofa wringing her hands. She knew that she needed to do the whole saying “I love you” thing a lot better. If she was going to stay with Ann forever, she didn’t want the story of their first _I love you_ to be that terrible. Leslie wanted to scrap book the whole thing, and what would she put in there? A picture of her pain meds?  
She jumped when she heard keys jingling in the lock. She tried to stand up normally, but realised her legs were still sore, so reached for the crutches. She managed to hoist herself into a standing position by the time Ann came through the door, so at least she preserved _some_ of her dignity.

“Hi Leslie!” Ann said cheerfully. “How was your d-”  
“I remembered what happened last night,” Leslie blurted. “I’m really sorry.”  
Ann squinted at her. “Why are you sorry?”  
“Because-” Leslie hobbled over to Ann and took her hand. “Chris told me I need to communicate with you. And I have to admit, it wasn’t how I wanted this to happen. You deserve better than me being off my face on medication!”  
“It was sweet,” Ann replied, reaching for Leslie’s hand. Leslie scrunched up her fists.  
“No- it was _stupid_.”  
“Leslie, I’m more concerned by the fact you said you didn’t think you were good enough for me,” Ann admitted. Leslie faltered.  
“So- you don’t mind that I said I loved you when I was high?”  
Ann winced at her. “Of course not!”  
“Well. I was telling the truth. I do love you.”  
“I love you too,” Ann replied instantly. “Of course I do. I really love you.”

The two women embraced tightly, before Leslie was kissing Ann. Ann had to admit that it never _ever_ got old. Even if she lived to be one hundred and fifty, the sensation of kissing Leslie Knope would never get old.  
When they pulled away, Leslie put her hands in Ann’s hair. Ann’s hands were on Leslie’s back, keeping her upright on the crutches.  
“I love you,” she whispered. Leslie grinned.  
“I love you too, Ann Perkins.”  
“Now, can we talk a little? About your feelings?”  
But then Leslie got an overwhelming urge, and she was kissing Ann again.  
“Later. I have a better idea.”


	11. Waffles in Bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann have their first time together. Then they talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter has a bit more smut in it than usual

Somehow, the women found themselves in Ann’s room. Leslie wasn’t sure if she walked there, or if she somehow teleported there, but the next thing she knew was that she was in Ann’s bedroom and Ann was kissing her neck.  
It felt incredible. If Leslie had to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, which is something she does with a lot of her experiences, it would be an 11. But soon after that thought it became hard to think straight, because then Ann’s hot breath was in her ear, and it made her legs feel like jelly.  
Leslie fumbled with Ann’s shirt, and soon it was up over her head, revealing her bra. Leslie’s breath hitched, and the kissing got more intense. Ann was slowly unbuttoning Leslie’s shirt as Leslie took a turn kissing her neck. Ann’s movements were slow and deliberate, probably because her eyes were shut tightly in bliss.

Soon, the tops were off. And then the bras came off shortly afterwards. Ann and Leslie were touching each other slowly and carefully, as if they were worried the other wasn’t okay. Tentatively, Leslie put her hand on Ann's hip, her hand ghosting the top of her trousers. “Should we…?”  
“Yeah.”  
Ann’s nurse trousers came off, and so Leslie’s jeans and pants did too. The two women looked at each other in appreciation.  
“Oh, Leslie,” Ann whispered. Leslie would usually feel embarrassed under such scrutiny, but something about Ann’s soft gaze made her feel loved more than anything else that had been said today. And Leslie loved Ann. And Ann happened to be incredibly beautiful, so that was a bonus.  
“Ann, you’re…” Leslie tried to think of what to say, but she was genuinely speechless. Ann’s smile grew wider, and somehow her eyes got softer.  
Leslie opted to just kiss her again, but then her hand was travelling down Ann’s stomach. She was desperate to touch every inch of her girlfriend.  
She felt a pain in her legs, so she leant into the bed.  
“Can we…?” she asked softly. Ann seemed to get the hint, because as they kept kissing, they lay down on the bed. Leslie’s pain eased considerably, and she moaned softly as Ann cupped her breasts. Leslie responded by wrapping her hand around Ann’s lower back.

The women moved slowly so that Leslie was lying on her back and Ann was sat between her legs. She moved back for a second, stopping the kisses.  
“Is this okay?” she murmured.  
“It’s more than okay,” Leslie replied instantly, and it reminded Ann of the first time they met.  
_It’s more than a promise. It’s a pinky promise.  
_“I love you,” Ann whispered, and Leslie felt her breath hitch.  
“I love you too.”  
And then Ann’s hands were between her legs. Leslie felt herself buckle under the new contact, and her response only made Ann want to do it more. Ann was making Leslie feel incredible and as soon as she was done, Leslie would give her the same.

***

The two women lay in bed together. It was just gone midnight, but neither of them felt tired.  
The moonlight was streaming in through the window, and Leslie watched it, feeling intensely happy. Ann was curled into her side, and while Leslie’s legs were still a little sore, she did her best to lie as close to Ann as she possibly could.  
Her best friend. Her girlfriend.  
“Hey, Leslie?”  
Her voice cut through the darkness.  
“Yeah?”  
“It upsets me that you think you’re not good enough for me,” Ann admitted quietly.  
Leslie’s heart sank. “I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be sorry. I just wish I could show you what you looked like through my eyes.”  
Leslie sighed. “Do you think it’s weird we’re dating?”  
“No…?” Ann replied slowly, feeling a rush of panic. Leslie hurried to explain.  
“I just… we’re best friends. And we always have been. And now our friendship is officially _technically_ ruined.” Leslie groaned loudly. “What if I ruin this for us and we can’t even go back to being friends?”  
“Why would you ruin it?” Ann asked her seriously. “In what scenario would you ruin it?”  
“I… I’m worried the bubble will burst and you’ll realise I’m just some goofy parks lady. And now you’ve seen me totally naked, that’s the friendship over.” She breathed in slowly. “You’re just so wonderful, Ann.”  
“So are you!” Ann sat up, and Leslie shuffled slightly so they were the same level. “First off, I don’t think you could ruin it. At all. And you’re a little goofy, sure. But you are kind and beautiful and selfless. You put one hundred percent into everything you do. And you’re just such a… a positive energy to have. When I met you, I was living an unhappy life. And you basically single-handedly took me in and made me so incredibly happy. I love you.”  
There was a long silence. Ann expected Leslie to start crying, but all she did was quietly say: “Oh, Ann. I love you too. _So_ much.”  
The two embraced. Ann felt herself getting tired, but then Leslie was speaking again.  
“Did we eat dinner?”  
“Uh…”  
“We didn’t! Do you want me to make some waffles?”  
Ann grinned in the darkness.

***

“I can’t believe we did that.”  
Ann was leaning sleepily against the counter as Leslie stood by the waffle maker, leaning on one of the crutches.  
“Sex?” Ann questioned. Leslie nodded.  
“Uh-huh. It was great. I’m sorry I wasn’t ready sooner.”  
Ann frowned. “Leslie, I was happy to wait. I’d never have wanted to do anything without you being ready.”  
Leslie hummed happily. “And we’re crazy good.”  
Ann grinned. “We actually are.”  
Leslie finished the waffles (making sure to put a lot of cream and chocolate sauce on them) and Ann carried the two plates back to the bedroom. Once they were in bed and eating, Leslie sighed happily.  
“Thank you for the pep talk.”  
Ann rubbed Leslie’s leg comfortingly. “Any time. I never want you to feel bad about yourself.”  
“Unless I’ve done something utterly ridiculous, right?”  
Ann snorted. “Right.”  
Leslie grinned at her. “Ann and waffles in bed. I genuinely do not think my life will peak any more than this moment.”  
The both of them were so happy that they were just two girlfriends in bed, eating breakfast food.

  
  
  



	12. Picnic Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann go somewhere special for lunch on Leslie's first day back.

Ann walked into the parks department, ready to meet Leslie for lunch. It was her first day back today, and she had received many comments in passing from her co-workers about how over-eager she had been that day. When she had passed Donna on the way to the bathroom, Donna had simply told her to “reign her girlfriend in,” to which Ann had replied with a smile that she never would.  
When Ann got there, Leslie ran over to her with a grin on her face.  
“ANN!”  
“Hey Leslie!”  
Ann was so happy to see her back in action. Ron seemed happy too, because he was now happily throwing a football up and down in his office rather than doing work.

The two women met in the middle of the room, and Ann kissed Leslie quickly, aware of the fact that they were still in work. But could she help it if her girlfriend was so adorable?  
At that moment, however, Jerry happened to be walking past with a large glass of orange juice. He jumped in surprise at the sight of them, spilling the juice down his front and on the floor.  
“Oh jeez!” he said loudly, before looking at them in surprise. “Are you two a couple?”  
“Dammit Jerry!” came Tom’s voice from his office. “We were going to try and prank you!”  
“Well at least he spilled his juice,” April deadpanned from the corner.  
Ann smiled at Jerry, feeling a little guilty. “Yeah, we are!”  
Jerry stopped frowning to give them a big smile. “Well, congratulations!”  
“Thanks Jerry!” Leslie shouted, which made Ann wince a little.  
“Your voice is very loud, babe.”  
“Sorry.”

***

“So where are we going for lunch?” Ann asked, sort of loving the fact that Leslie had kept it a secret until now.  
“You’ll see,” Leslie replied, trying to be mysterious. Ann tried not to laugh.  
“Babe! If this is some kind of scavenger hunt, count me out. I’m too hungry.”  
“No, it’ll be good I promise!”  
“Fine, fine.” Leslie was too cute when she was dragging Ann into bizarre social situations.  
When Leslie stopped the car, Ann got out to see Ramsett Park, which was Pawnee’s prettiest park in her opinion. She turned around to see Leslie opening the boot of the car. Ann walked around to see that in the boot was a picnic basket, complete with a blanket.  
Ann gasped. “Aw, Leslie!”  
“It’s a park date. I hope you don’t mind,” Leslie said almost shyly. Ann kissed her cheek.  
“What’s more Leslie Knope than that? I love it.”

They found a nice spot. And by found, Leslie told Ann it was the second-best spot in the park, and Ann believed she was telling the truth. She also believed Leslie may have some kind of list ranking the best spots in the park. She pondered this as Leslie put the blanket down, chatting.  
“We only have an hour before we have to be back, so I can’t take you to the _best_ spot, as it’s half an hour into the park and that would cut in on food time.”  
“That’s fine,” Ann insisted. “So, what’s in the basket?”  
The two women sat down, and Leslie grinned as she opened the basket. Inside was a load of treats, there were homemade sandwiches, a (very small) bowl of salad, and some waffles. There were also two bottles of fruit juice.  
“Aww, babe!” Ann exclaimed with a grin. She pulled out one of the sandwiches and took a bite. It was delicious. “Did you do this yourself?”  
“I did! I’m not the best cook, but I _am_ good at themed events. And this is our park picnic date! One for the calendar, I hope.”

Ah yes, the date calendar. Ann wasn’t sure if they were going to have dates on the same day each year, or if Leslie wanted the two of them to commemorate the best dates, but either way Leslie was putting together a “date calendar.” Sometimes it was genuinely better not to ask.  
“So, how has work been?” Leslie asked as she took a swig of juice.  
“It’s been fine, I’m so glad you’re back in the building again though. How has your first day back been?”  
“It’s been wonderful,” Leslie said with a smile. “I have gotten so much done.”  
“I’m sort of glad we organized this, or I doubt you’d have taken a break to eat,” Ann admitted.  
“You’re probably right, Ann, you wise, sexy owl.”  
_“A sexy owl?”_  
“A wise one! You’re very wise.”

The two of them looked out over the park. With the sun shining like this, the place really looked idyllic. Ann wondered how much of this park was down to her girlfriend. Probably a lot of it.  
As they continued their scan, Ann spotted Ben walking hand in hand with Shauna, the news lady. She pointed it out to Leslie, who immediately started waving her arms.  
“Ben!”  
Ben spotted them and the two came over, Shauna looking a little awkward. Ben, however, was all smiles.  
“Hi guys! Are you on your lunch break?”  
“Sure are!” said Leslie. “My first day back since I fell in the hole!”  
Ann couldn’t help but laugh at Shauna’s confused expression. Those who didn’t spent ample amount of time with Leslie often found her utterly bewildering. Ann secretly loved it.  
“I’m glad you’re taking a break from all the hard work you’re definitely smashing,” Ben said with a smile. "And what better place for a date than the park you saved?" 

***

After Ben left, Leslie sighed happily. “He seems relaxed.”  
“He really does,” Ann mused. “Having a girlfriend has really calmed him down.”  
Ann looked at Leslie, who was looking into the distance.  
“You okay?” she asked her. Leslie snapped out of it.  
“I am. I’m just glad Ben and I can still be friends, y’know? I felt bad about what happened.”  
“Me too. But he’s moved on now, which is great!”  
“You know what else is great?” Leslie asked. Ann smiled, feeling like she already knew the answer.  
“What’s great?”  
“Being here with you.”  
Leslie leaned over the picnic spread to kiss Ann, who leaned into the kiss easily. The sun shone as the two of them packed away the finished picnic and got ready to leave.

They walked back to the car, hand in hand. As they walked, Ann fumbled in her pocket.  
“Listen, Les, I have something for you.”  
Leslie looked over in surprise. “What is it?”  
Ann handed her a key- a key to her house.  
“I want you to feel totally at home in my place,” Ann explained. “And I know you prefer my house to yours, so I wanted you to have a key.”  
Leslie’s face lit up- she was overjoyed.  
“Oh, Ann! Thank you so much, this means so much to me!”  
The two women embraced, and then they kissed for a long time.  
“Best girlfriend ever,” Leslie whispered in her ear before she pulled away.

Leslie wasn’t moving in yet; that hadn’t been discussed. But both of the women knew that it meant that they were progressing further in their relationship, and both of them were more than okay with it. In fact, Ann was surprised Leslie didn’t have a key beforehand, back when they were just best friends. Ann thought about that, and then she thought about the picnic.  
“Thank you,” Ann said to her as they reached the car. “That was wonderful.”  
“So was you giving me a key, Ann! I am so happy!”  
Ann grinned. “I’m so glad.” She sighed happily. “We need to do this again!”  
“Definitely! I love fun dates. Ooh- next time, _you_ pick the location!” Leslie replied. “Except can it not be work-themed? I don’t think we should go on a date in the hospital. That might kill the vibe a bit.”  
Ann laughed loudly. “You got it.”


	13. Work Shoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann has a nightmare. Leslie proves she never puts work first.  
> TW- panic attack

_“LESLIE!”  
Ann was falling. Oh god, she was falling, and nobody was going to catch her.  
Her arms flailed, and she expected her girlfriend to grab her hand, but the fact that she didn’t proved that she was dead. Leslie wasn’t here. Maybe she was missing, maybe she was dead, but Ann was alone and that was a terrifying feeling.  
She cried out in horror. She screamed her girlfriend’s name into the night, but she was gone.  
An emptiness filled her chest. She was totally alone._

Ann jolted awake. She was covered in sweat, and she was breathing heavily. She instinctively reached out to feel for Leslie, and at first, she felt a rush of panic to find her girlfriend wasn’t there.  
_Oh god. Oh god._  
It was then that she remembered that Leslie had wanted to pull a heavily scheduled late-night work session with Ben and Chris- something about sorting out issues in the Parks Department that had gone on for a while. Ann tried to level her breathing, taking shaky breaths.  
Chris had already tried to shake up the department, especially when he recently made Ron sit in the middle of the room with a circular desk, but Leslie had agreed that there was a lot of work to be done, so she was in work tonight.  
Ann had initially worried that they would overwork, but Leslie had promised she would get some sleep once the work was finished. Ann fumbled for her phone, still feeling her heart racing. It was gone one in the morning and she hadn’t texted her saying she was home.  
Ann’s breathing was heavy, and she knew that if she didn’t hear her girlfriend’s voice in the next thirty seconds, she was going to have a panic attack. She didn’t know why, but the dream had shaken her to her core.

With trembling hands, she typed in Leslie’s number and hit dial, her chest clenching with every second it took for the phone to ring.  
_Please pick up. Please._  
After a second, miraculously, Leslie picked up the phone.  
_“Hey Ann! What are you doing awake? I’m leaving in a minute, we got so much work done! Chris and I-”  
_“Leslie?” Ann croaked, cutting her off.  
Leslie’s demeanor totally changed. _“Are you okay? What’s wrong?”  
_“I had a nightmare,” Ann admitted in a whisper, feeling sheepish. She could feel her voice trembling with emotion. “Can- can you come here? Please?”  
Leslie didn’t hesitate. _“Of course, I’ll leave now. I’ve got my car so I’m only ten minutes away. Do you need me to stay on the line?”  
_“No, it’s fine. I just need you here.”  
_“Okay, I won’t be long. I love you.”  
_“I love you too.”

***

Ann spent the next fifteen minutes trying to regulate her breathing, but it was getting increasingly hard the longer she was alone. She thought about turning on the light, but her limbs felt heavy and useless.  
So, she sat in the dark, and the only prickle of hope came when she heard Leslie’s key in the lock. Ann silently thanked everything that she had given Leslie a key to her house. It had seemed like such a simple, obvious gesture at the time, but now she was really appreciating it.  
“Ann?” Leslie called.  
Ann tried to respond, but her mouth wouldn’t open. So, all she could do was sit and wait until Leslie found her, sitting in the dark. When she did, she stood in the doorway for a second, and Ann expected some kind of biting comment for some reason. But instead, Leslie just hurried over and embraced her tightly.

“Hey,” Leslie shushed her. “It’s alright.”  
Ann didn’t even realise she had burst into tears, but she obviously had, because then Leslie was shedding her work jacket and clambering into the bed next to her. She sat against the headboard and held Ann, rocking her gently. It felt so good to have her girlfriend here.  
“Shh, it’s okay.”  
Ann felt her breath coming in quick pants, which made her panic even more. Leslie swiftly realised the situation.  
“Ann, I need you to take deep breaths for me, okay? In and out, that’s good. That’s so good.”  
Ann’s shaky breaths were heartbreaking to hear, and Leslie hated to think of whatever it was that made her so upset. She gently stroked Ann’s hair with one hand, keeping the other one firmly around her back. She kept instructing her to breathe and, soon enough, her breathing was thankfully returning to normal. Ann fell against her then, totally exhausted. In the darkness she could see that Leslie still had her work shoes on, and that made her frown.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, “that I called you when you were working.”  
“I was nearly done,” Leslie immediately replied. “Besides, you know I’d drop any work for you. It goes: Ann, friends, waffles, work. That’s the list.” She paused. “You’re always at the top.”  
Ann smiled against her girlfriend. “I love you.”  
“I love you too,” Leslie whispered to her. “Can I ask what happened?”  
“It was just a weird nightmare.”  
“But it made you have a panic attack, sweetie.” Leslie licked her lips nervously. “If you don’t want to talk about it that’s totally okay, but I just want to be able to help you. You’re always helping me.”  
“I- you were dead. I was… alone.”  
That was all it took for Ann to feel the tears swimming in her eyes again. God, she was feeling very vulnerable tonight. But that was okay because Leslie was feeling very protective. She hugged Ann tightly, squeezing her like her life depended on it.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here,” Leslie said to her sincerely.  
“Not your fault.”  
“Still, though. The nights I’m not here are always weird, aren’t they?”  
Ann considered that statement for a long time. “Why don’t you move in?”  
Ann heard Leslie’s breath hitch, and at first (for some reason) she thought she was mad. But of course, she wasn’t.  
“That’s a great idea! I’m always here anyway, and I hate my horrible hoarder house. I would never want to make your house that bad though, Ann. And your neighbourhood is lovely, and I could keep an eye on Lot 48…”  
Ann listened to Leslie chattering on, feeling her eyes slipping shut.  
“Is that a yes?” she asked sleepily, only slightly eager to cut off her girlfriend’s cute tirade.  
“Of course,” Leslie responded instantly. “I would absolutely love to live with you, Ann.”  
Ann fell asleep to that wonderful sentence. Leslie knew she had, and she was happy to hold her for the rest of the night, keeping her safe. Work shoes on and all.


	14. Meeting the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie finds out she might be running for council, which means that she and Ann will be put under scrutiny by the press. Maybe it's time for some secrets to come out.
> 
> Also these next few chapters might be slightly stressful, just a warning! Everything is only going to make them stronger though, I'm not planning a break up haha

Leslie was not having a good day. Not at all.  
Sure, the Li’l Sebastian Memorial had gone down without a hitch, well, aside from Ron losing his eyebrows. Which had been _totally_ planned. But there had been quite a few close calls regarding her and Ann. The Parks gang all knew about their relationship, but the both of them had been hesitant to take it out to the public, especially since Leslie had been in the news a few times before, and the people of Pawnee lapped up any drama. And Leslie dating a woman was surely going to stir them, because unfortunately a lot of the town were totally irritating. Leslie loved Pawnee, and most of the residents were accepting as anything… but these were also the people who got mad at town meetings because there weren’t enough _benches._

Leslie was wracked with nerves, and it was making her whole body hurt. Things only got more stressful when, after the service, she was approached by two very powerful looking people asking her to run for City Council. They had asked her if there was a scandal brewing. Leslie had said no.  
Because why should her sexuality, the woman she loved, be a scandal? If people had an issue with it, they could shove it in their paunch burger eating mouths because, honestly, Leslie didn’t want to care.  
That was the attitude she had when she denied any scandals. But now she was on her way to speak to Ann about it, she felt even worse.

“They want me to run for council,” Leslie told Ann in a quiet voice.  
Ann’s face lit up, and that cheered Leslie up slightly. “Wow, that’s incredible!”  
“But… they asked me if there was going to be a scandal brewing, Ann. They’re going to find out everything about me if I run. Everything.”  
Leslie watched the gears in Ann’s head turning, and then her mouth fell open slightly. Leslie carried on talking before Ann could cut in.  
“And when they said it, I was like well, our relationship shouldn’t be a scandal just because we’re women dating-”  
“-but even when they thought we were dating last time, when Dexhart was involved, it was a whole thing,” Ann said slowly. Leslie nodded grimly.  
“I’m sorry, Ann.” Ann shook her head.  
“Don’t be! This is your _dream_.” Ann reached over to squeeze Leslie’s hand, and Leslie sighed shakily. “And we’re going to figure this out. I promise.”  
“Thank you, Ann. But I was thinking that maybe you should meet with your parents before this goes too far. I don’t want them finding out about us through some tabloid garbage.”  
Ann felt a small rush of panic, but she smiled and nodded. “Okay. I’ll ask her if we can meet tomorrow. Maybe I’ll drive down.”  
“Good idea. Your Mom hates driving, we don’t want her in a bad mood,” Leslie said. “And I’ll come with you, if that’s okay? Even if I just wait in the car, I don’t want to leave you alone.”  
“That’s fine, babe.”  
“Okay, good.”  
Ann looked at her. She looked really stressed. “Hey,” she murmured. “It’ll be fine.”  
Leslie smiled at her thinly, but before she could reply, Ron was wheeling her away, yelling something about Tammy. Guess that conversation would have to be put on hold, then.

***

That conversation didn’t technically continue, even when they got back home. Ann had rang her parents, who confirmed they were free the next day. When they got home, both of them were so tired all they had were a few goodnight kisses and falling straight to sleep.  
The next day, Ann was getting ready to drive down. Her Mother had been surprised and, in Leslie’s opinion, slightly suspicious about Ann’s desire to suddenly meet, but Ann promised Leslie that she was just nervous. She had been acting strangely for most of the past few days, and Ann didn’t want her spiraling.  
“Are you ready for the drive?” Ann asked her. Leslie nodded, squeezing her phone tightly. She hadn’t received a call from anyone regarding the council yet, but in the five hours it took to drive from Indiana to Michigan, who knows who would call.

As the drive started, Ann tried to keep Leslie distracted.  
“That’s crazy about Tammy One coming back, right?”  
“Huh? Oh. Yeah.”  
“Is Ron okay?”  
“He’s hiding in the woods for one-hundred-and-eighty days. Something like that, anyway.”  
The conversation fell silent again. Ann took one hand off the wheel to squeeze Leslie’s hand.  
“We can’t let them scare us. It’s your dream, Leslie.”  
“But I don’t want anyone making you feel uncomfortable,” Leslie replied. “It’s different when it’s the public, and we’re both going to be under a lot of scrutiny from the press.”  
Ann swallowed thickly. “It’s okay. We won’t let it get in the way.”  
Leslie smiled at her. Ann glanced away from the road for a second to smile back.

***

They tried to fill the rest of the trip with lighthearted conversation, but as they got closer to Michigan, Ann could feel herself getting tense. And Leslie was already tense, so they lapsed into silence for the last hour or so.  
That didn’t stop the two of them from giving each other an encouraging smile once Ann pulled up outside what Leslie assumed was her parents’ house. It was large and very homely, and the front yard had a large apple tree in it. Leslie could see an old rope hanging from one of the chunky branches and wondered if there used to be tire swing there when Ann was little. She could imagine Ann having a fun-filled childhood here, and that calmed her slightly.  
“It’s a lovely house,” Leslie exclaimed, coming back to herself a little to give some of that signature Leslie Knope charm. Ann noticed, and walked around the car to take her hand.  
“Thank you. And don’t worry, they’re going to love you.”  
“You think?”  
“They will! Once they get over the shock of me dating a woman.”  
“A woman who will soon be all over the media.”  
Ann laughed nervously. “Yeah.”

The two of them walked up the path, and the door at the top opened to reveal Ann’s mother, who gave her a wide smile.  
“Ann!”  
“Hey Mom!” The two embraced.  
“How was the drive?” Ann’s Mom asked as they pulled away.  
“Fine!”  
“It was such a surprise to hear you were coming.”  
“Ah… sorry?”  
Leslie stood to the side, a little awkwardly, but then Ann’s mother was giving her a look.  
“Ah, this must be Leslie! The one who you work with now?”  
“The best friend, yes,” Leslie said formally, reaching out to shake Ann’s mother’s hand. “You must be Sharon Perkins. University of Michigan class of ’69.”  
Sharon looked at Leslie a little strangely, before accepting the handshake. “That’s right, yes…”  
“Is Paul joining us today?” Leslie continued. “I am excited to hear about his building firm.”  
“Err- he should be…?”  
“Shall we just go inside?” Ann cut in, and Leslie gave her a frightened glance.

Sitting inside was a little better. There was iced tea, and Leslie was happy to sit quietly and listen to Ann and Sharon chat. Ann squeezed her hand the whole time, not caring that her Mother and, eventually, her Father, gave them strange glances. And then the moment came.  
“I have to ask,” Paul said as he brought in a tray of snacks. “Is there something going on between you two?” He indicated the hand holding, and Leslie let go of Ann’s hand.  
“We live together!” Leslie yelled out. Ann glanced at her, before grabbing her hand back. Leslie smiled at her appreciatively, and Ann smiled back. Now was the time.  
“Mom, Dad… we’re dating. It’s gone on for a few months, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I wanted to do it in person.”  
Sharon and Paul looked at each other.  
“But… you’ve always dated men,” Sharon said slowly, before shaking herself. “Sorry, that’s probably not the response you wanted.”  
“No, it’s fine,” Ann said quickly. “I know it must seem confusing. I still like men, but… I love Leslie.”  
Leslie felt Ann’s grip around her hand tighten, and it gave her a surge of confidence.  
“You have a lovely home by the way,” she blurted. “The colour scheme in here is quite pleasant.”  
Paul laughed. “Thank you, it comes with my job. And I hear you’re excellent at your job.”  
“She is,” Ann replied quickly. “In fact, she might be running for council!”  
“That’s great!” Paul replied.  
Leslie could see that Sharon had fallen silent, but she didn’t expect her to understand straight away. But how hard was it to accept Ann? Ann was beautiful. And amazing.  
“I’m really proud of her,” Ann continued, turning to look at Leslie. The two women smiled at each other and, in that moment, that was all they needed.  
  



	15. The Important Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie has her first meeting with the campaign advisors, where some worrying things come to light. And then she gets a stressful email. Things are getting a bit too much.

Ann and Leslie left her parents’ house that next morning, as Ann wanted Leslie to have time to prepare for her councilor meeting the next day. It had been a good visit, by all accounts.  
The night before, while they were lying in bed in the guest room, they spoke about the visit.  
“I’m sorry if I came on too strong,” Leslie whispered, feeling panic twisting in her gut. It seemed like it was her constant mood.  
“It’s okay,” Ann replied, moving to snuggle in closer. “If you can imagine it, I was more nervous than you.”  
“I know. Do you think your Mom is okay?” Leslie murmured as she moved to kiss Ann’s head. “She went a little quiet after you told her.”  
“I’m not sure,” Ann admitted with a sigh. “My Dad took it really well, I think. In his stride. Maybe Mom just needs more time. And I won’t lie, I was imagining much worse scenarios in my head.”  
“Me too,” Leslie replied. “At least this way, we told them together and they can accept it in their own time.” She paused. “I’m sorry we have to go home tomorrow morning.”  
“Your meeting with the campaign people is important.”  
“So is your coming out journey, Ann! How many more family members do you have in Michigan? If we go now, maybe we can do them all.”

Leslie tried to jump out of bed, and Ann had to leap up and grab her wrist.  
“Leslie!” Ann whispered harshly. “It’s nearly midnight!”  
“So?”  
Ann took a deep breath. “Come back to bed, please.”  
Leslie slowly lay back down, and they resumed the cuddling position. Leslie was quiet, waiting for Ann to speak.  
“I have loads of time to tell the rest of my family,” Ann slowly reassured her. “Maybe my parents already have, I don’t care.”  
“You don’t?” Leslie asked.  
“I’m just glad you’re here,” Ann whispered. Leslie smiled at her in the darkness. “Are you okay?” Ann continued, looking at her with scrutiny. Leslie shrugged.  
“I don’t know.”  
“Aw, babe. I’m here. And you’ll be great.”

Ann had fallen asleep quite quickly, which Leslie was quite glad of. Ann had been worried for weeks about telling her parents, and now it was finally out of the way. Leslie had lain awake for a lot longer, and in the morning, she had to try and keep the tiredness hidden as they said goodbye to Ann’s parents. Both embraced Ann tightly, and Leslie was really happy to be given a hug by them as well.  
“I’m sorry,” Ann’s mother said as they were leaving. “That my reaction wasn’t quite what you might have wanted. It was just a shock…”  
“I know,” Ann said with a smile.  
“I love you very much.”  
Leslie glanced over and saw Ann’s eyes were teary, and that made her own eyes fill up. Ann’s mother smiled at her thinly, which Leslie didn’t quite know how to take but at least it was a smile.  
It was so great to finally have the secret off their chests. And while it might take a while for Ann’s mother to come to terms with it, at least she hadn’t actively shunned them. That was something left for the public of Pawnee. Leslie felt a jolt of panic at that thought and was almost relieved when they got into the car and drove home. If Ann saw something was wrong, she didn’t mention it. She just squeezed her hand.

***

The next day was filled with nerves. When she got into work for the meeting on Monday, Leslie hardly noticed when Andy called hello to her in work, prompting both he and April to look at each other in confusion.  
When she knocked on the door. A quiet “come in!” came from the other side. Leslie took a deep calming breath before opening the door. Inside the room were the two people she had met the Friday beforehand. She shook both their hands, and they offered her a seat opposite them.  
“So, Leslie,” the man- William- said. “We’ve done some background research, and on paper you seem like a very respectable individual.”  
Leslie smiled widely. “Thank you, Will. I pride myself on staying out of trouble Wait- on _paper_?”  
“Yes,” Elizabeth continued. “Aside from a few articles from the Pawnee Sun…”  
“Oh,” Leslie said. “Well, I can assure you that the things written in there are fictitious, tabloid… garbage.”  
Elizabeth held up a newspaper headline- the one featuring Paul’s heart attack. She chuckled.  
“I wouldn’t worry about them. There are some more pressing matters.”

Leslie knew what was coming, but it still felt terrible to hear it come out of someone’s mouth.  
“We asked around City Hall,” Will continued. “In case there was anything we needed to know that hadn’t been leaked, word of mouth and things like that.”  
“And we heard you might be having an affair with a Ms Ann Perkins?” Elizabeth asked.  
“Affair?” Leslie asked, shocked. “Uh, no, it’s not an affair. She’s my girlfriend.”  
The two people in front of her glanced at each other.  
“This hasn’t made the news yet,” Leslie heard Elizabeth whisper. Leslie felt herself getting annoyed.  
“I’m sorry, but why would my sexuality affect my ability to run? We’re in the twenty-first century, people!”  
“We’re not saying it is,” Will hastened to add. “It’s just worth knowing in case it becomes an issue. Which it possibly will, given the nature of your… relationship.”  
_In case it becomes an issue. An issue._

The rest of the meeting was a blur. Things only got worse when she got back to her desk later on, only to see an email from Sharon, Ann’s mother. Leslie cursed at the screen. The email wasn’t “here’s the itinerary for our next family outing” long, and it wasn’t a one line sentence saying that Leslie was the best (and hopefully, only) future daughter-in-law she ever had. It was a strange length.

**Leslie,  
I apologise that my manner wasn’t to a high standard over the weekend. Ann’s news took me quite by surprise, and unfortunately, I am still struggling to comprehend it. I do hold my daughter’s happiness in high regard, and if you are what she wants then I will have to accept it. However, while I appreciate you coming to support Ann, it made things rather difficult for me to process with you there.  
I hope this won’t put a damper on our relationship in the future, however I may need more time to process this.  
Best wishes with your campaign meeting,  
Sharon**

Leslie stared at the screen for a while. How was the email simultaneously pleasant and totally unnerving? Now not only was she thinking about the fact her whole relationship might be put at risk; she was _also_ worrying about the fact that she upset Ann’s mother. For _being there_ for her daughter?  
So she spent the rest of the day inside her own head, feeling progressively worse, and even Donna- the queen of telling people when they needed to stop- couldn’t snap her out of it.  
“What’s going on with you?” she asked her. “You’ve been sat staring into space for the past hour.”  
“Have I?”  
“I can see you through the window,” she explained, gesturing vaguely to the bullpen.  
Leslie let out a short breath. “I’m fine. I just…”  
God, she wished Ann were here. Or Ron. Ron didn’t ask questions.  
“I’m going home early!” she exclaimed.  
“You’re leaving ten minutes early?” Donna asked, giving her a look.  
“I have work to do at home, so.”  
Donna watched as Leslie picked up her purse and left. She turned to look at April, who shrugged.  
“Don’t ask me. She’s been weird since before the meeting.”

***

Leslie sat at Ann’s house- sorry, _their house_ \- wringing her hands. Her chest felt like it was going to explode. Or implode.  
She couldn’t believe her relationship with Ann was actually confirmed to potentially be a threat. As if it wasn’t already hard enough running for council, but she might not get there because she was doing something perfectly normal? It was terrible. She couldn’t decide if it was homophobic or sexist, but it was probably both.  
And then there was the Sharon thing. Should she tell Ann about it?  
She was jumped out of her thoughts when she heard a key jingling in the lock. She turned to see the door swing open, and Ann rush in.

“Leslie! Are you okay? Donna told me you left work early!”  
“I left work at four forty-seven!”  
Ann folded her arms and leaned to the side, fixing her with a stare. “Leslie.”  
“Okay, well… Will and Elizabeth said our relationship might jeopardize the campaign.”  
“What?” Ann asked. Leslie stood up to meet her.  
“I know! And now my insides feel all swirly, because I love you, and while it’s my dream, and I know it’s going to be super hard for us. Maybe I shouldn’t run for council.”  
Ann frowned. “Leslie, are you crazy?”  
“I don’t know! I love you so much, and I don’t want to put you through that. Not only that but…” Leslie swallowed, her mouth dry. “Your Mom sent me this really bizarre email, I… I don’t think she likes me.”  
Ann let out a short breath. “What?”  
“I…” Leslie’s mouth was totally devoid of moisture. She breathed in, touching her throat. “I’m really thirsty.”  
“Have you had anything to drink today?” Ann asked her.  
“No?”  
Ann let out a sigh. “I’ll get you some water,” she said quickly, walking to the kitchen. She shook her head as she went, trying to comprehend all the news.  
Leslie could feel her chest constricting. It felt like the stress of the past few days was really building up now, and she was starting to feel really strange. _Why was everything so difficult?_  
“Ann,” she said slowly. “Ann?”  
“Hang on,” Ann called from the kitchen. Leslie could hear the tap running. “What did you say?”  
“I don’t- I don’t feel well.”  
Leslie could feel her vision tunneling. She tried to take a deep breath to clear her mind, but nothing was working.  
Ann turned around to see Leslie crumpling to the floor. Ann didn’t hesitate- she sprinted forwards, dropping the glass completely, and caught her girlfriend at the last second, just as she heard the glass smash behind her. Leslie was a total dead weight in her arms.

_Oh god, oh god._

_  
  
  
  
_


	16. How Hard Could It Be?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie is seven and she wants to be the president.

_“What are your plans for when you’re a grown up?”_

None of the class knew how to answer that question. And why would they? They were in the third grade, all they wanted to do was kick balls around or, if you were Leslie’s neighbour Freddie, use his Dad’s lighter to set fire to ants.   
“I know!” came the voice from the front row. “I want to be the president!”  
There was a chorus of groans. The teacher, Mrs Greene, tried to smile.  
“That’s great, Leslie!”  
“There is no way that’ll happen!” someone said from the back. Leslie stood up and turned around.  
“Yes it will! I just have to get into government, and then become city councilor, and then run for congress, then-”  
“You won’t even make city councilor! All you talk about are stupid parks!”  
“Parks are important!”  
“Class!” the teacher cut in. “Settle down! If Leslie wants to talk about parks then let her!”  
Leslie was annoyed, but she put a big smile on her face and she ignored them. She was going to be the president someday. It would only take forty-seven steps, and after government, councilor was the first big step. How hard could it be?

***

Another all-nighter in the library. Leslie just had to keep convincing herself it was worth it.   
“Hey!”  
She looked up. It was that nice girl from one of her seminars- Cindy.  
“Hi Cindy!” Leslie said eagerly, jumping up to greet her. “Are you coming to study?”  
“Nah,” Cindy said. “I was hoping you’d come out to a club with me.”  
“Now?” Leslie asked, checking the clock. “It’s eleven pm, wouldn’t the club be dead by then?” she asked nervously. Cindy laughed loudly.  
“Leslie! You’re hilarious. Come on, ditch the books for one night! I’m sure you can still be the first female president if you skip out on _one night_.”  
Leslie smiled a little wider. “I told you I want to be the president?”  
“You might’ve mentioned it in the first week of class,” Cindy replied with a smile. “And you’re pretty memorable, Leslie.”   
Cindy leaned forwards a little. Leslie’s breath hitched. Was she getting too close? Maybe Cindy wasn’t quite good at boundaries. Leslie decided to step backwards and smiled widely.   
“Aw, thanks! I’ll see you tomorrow then!”  
She gave Cindy a big wave and returned to the table. Who cared about having fun and going out to dance with a _very_ pretty girl? Leslie wanted to be the first female president and she was going to do it. She was going to be the first female president who was _also_ from Pawnee. It was going to be great.

***

“I think I might have nailed that interview!” Leslie told her Mother as they sat down at the table. It was their monthly catch-up, and it just so happened to fall on the day that Leslie had an interview for the parks department.  
“You think so?” Marlene asked. “Does this mean you’ll finally stop complaining about the fact your first job in government was one I got for you?”  
“I really think so! Sure, the boss seems really grouchy, but I sent him an apology note for screaming in his face!”  
Marlene nearly spat out her coffee. “You screamed in his face?”   
“I did, yes. Because he was being a _total_ butthead, and he was wrong about every single opinion he presented.”  
Marlene chuckled. “That’s Swanson for you. I’ve never liked the guy.”  
Leslie groaned. “Ugh, seriously? I am _not_ looking forward to working with him.”  
“You’ll hate him.”   
“Great.”

The two fell into comfortable silence as they ate. That was fine by Leslie though, as it meant she could people-watch as she ate. Oh look- there was Phil from the third floor. And there was- _oh,_ no, you went on a date with that guy. Look away, look away.   
Leslie couldn’t help but stare at a woman who was walking down the road. She was a nurse, either that or she loved dressing up. Which wouldn’t particularly be a bad thing- Leslie had been known to dress up as Batman when she was drunk.   
The thing about this woman was that Leslie was finding it really hard to tear her eyes away and focus on her pasta. There was something about her- Leslie wanted to stand up and scream to the world that she was a radiant sun goddess. She felt something shift in her stomach, and she didn’t like that feeling.

“So you’re going to hear back soon?”  
Leslie snapped out of it. She forced herself to look at her Mom, who was staring at her.  
“Uh- soon. Yeah.”  
Leslie looked back at the street, but the nurse was gone. Leslie felt her heart sinking.   
_Best to push down whatever that was and focus on the interview.  
_ “Are you sure you’ll get it?” Marlene asked her in that classic tone of hers. “Sorry, honey, but it sounds like you sort of flunked it.”  
Leslie shook her head. For some reason, she felt a surge of confidence.   
“Nope, I’ve got it. I’m certain.”

***

Six years in the same job and Leslie never got tired of it. She really didn’t. But what was it about public forums that were so _excruciating_?   
Sure, they were people caring loudly, but did they have to complain about every little thing? The benches in the park weren’t varnished, the grass wasn’t cut. One lady was peeved about her dog not liking the walk route!! How many more people were going to talk about stupid things?!   
And now some lady was standing up. Sure, she was incredibly beautiful, but Leslie was certain she was going to just insult her or complain about something totally ridiculous.  
 _“Hi, I’m Ann Perkins and, frankly, I don’t really care for politics.”  
_ That may have been the worst sentence Leslie ever heard. When was this day going to end?!  
Okay, wait. Maybe she was actually quite interesting. And now she was asking for her help. Sure, she was a little bitter and annoyed, but at least she had a genuine issue.

_“It’s more than a promise. It’s a pinky promise.”_

And Leslie never went back on a pinky promise. She was good at her job, and this Ann person seemed like someone worth hanging out with.   
How hard could it be?

***

“Oh god, oh god!”

_“What are your plans for when you’re a grown up?”_

“Leslie? Can you hear me, babe?”

_She was going to be the president someday._


	17. When You're Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie is in dire need of help, but she has Ann there, always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- a lot of panicking and intense situations in this one. Hopefully it's balanced by fluff.

Ann had dropped onto her knees when Leslie had fallen against her. Ann made short work of putting her on her back. It had now been ten seconds since she collapsed. Ann checked her pulse and her airways, and then she checked them again. She raised Leslie’s legs and unbuttoned the top button of her shirt.  
Do all the procedures. Wait for it to pass.  
Ann took in a shaky breath. Her heart was racing. It had happened so quickly.  
Leslie had said that she hadn’t drank anything all day, and then she was saying she wasn’t well and was falling over, landing heavily in Ann’s arms.  
Ann suspected that it was anxiety related, but Leslie _had_ been acting strange for the past few days. She didn’t even want to think about that right now until her girlfriend woke up, because she was really starting to freak out now.  
As a nurse, she always made sure she kept a level head, but it was different when it was someone you were in love with. No- keep it together. Forty-five seconds since she collapsed.

“Leslie?” Ann said gently. “Can you hear me, babe?”  
Nothing.  
“Come on, please,” Ann said with more urgency, running her hand through her girlfriend’s hair and brushing it away from her face. “I’m right here.”  
It had been way too long. If it was over a minute, she was calling 911.  
"Leslie, _please_."  
She hadn’t felt this panicked since the time she had called Leslie in the middle of the night and asked her to come over. Leslie had wasted no time in dropping everything and rushing to her aid. She was a totally calming presence when she wanted to be, and Ann had felt so safe, so loved.  
Leslie’s face furrowed slightly, and Ann let in a heavy breath as she watched her girlfriend start to wake up.  
“Oh, thank god,” she whispered to herself.

Leslie opened her eyes, and immediately Ann was in her line of vision. She tried a smile as she put her hand on Leslie’s arm. “Hi. Hey.”  
“Ann?” Leslie croaked, before squeezing her eyes shut again. “Ugh- what-?”  
“Don’t try and sit up,” Ann instructed in her nurse voice. “Just... give it a second for me.”  
The two sat in silence for a second, with Ann running her hand up and down Leslie’s arm as she lay there. When Ann was sure that Leslie’s head wasn’t spinning, she put her arm under her back and slowly eased her into a seated position. Leslie quickly leaned forwards into her embrace, slumping into her. Ann thought she might have fainted again, but then Leslie wrapped her arms around her back and burrowed her head into Ann's shoulder.  
“Are you okay?” Ann whispered. “That was really scary.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
Ann pulled back. “I’m going to get you some water, baby, okay? Can you sit tight for a second?”  
Leslie nodded, giving her a weak smile, so Ann deemed it safe to leave her for a second and get her a glass of water. She needed rehydration and a chance to calm down. Ann wasn’t sure yet if she was still panicking but waking up on the floor can’t have helped.

When Ann returned, she helped Leslie take a long drink. Leslie still hadn’t left the floor, but Ann didn’t want to risk her fainting again, so kneeled down on the floor beside her. She had barely spoken since it happened, which was quite concerning. Her girlfriend usually spoke a million words a minute. But the best thing to do was to keep calm- if Ann started freaking out, that would make the situation ten times worse. She put her hand on Leslie’s forehead- she was a little too warm.  
"Les?" Leslie didn't reply straight away. Ann put her hand on her face, sighing in relief as Leslie made eye contact. At least she wasn't spacing out now. “Do you remember what happened?” Ann prodded.  
"I... I felt really sick."  
"You fainted, babe." _Quite_ dramatically.  
“Oh,” Leslie whispered. “I’m sorry.”  
“You don’t need to apologise,” Ann replied tenderly. “Just take some deep breaths.”  
“I- I can’t.”  
“Yes you can. In and out- remember like you showed me?” Leslie nodded slightly, taking a shaky intake of breath. Ann continued to talk in a soothing tone. “And you calmed me down, then you slept in your work clothes because you didn’t want to wake me up? You’re so wonderful, Leslie.”  
Leslie smiled again but didn’t speak, so they sat in silence again as Leslie tried to regulate her breathing. After that was accomplished, Leslie made a move to stand up. Ann stood first, helping her to her feet. She was shaky, and quickly staggered into Ann, who caught her. She was shaking all over, and her breathing was ragged again. Clearly being that unsteady had freaked her out again.   
“Baby,” Ann said softly. “You need to try and calm down for me. I know you can.”  
“It’s too much,” Leslie said simply, and Ann nodded.  
“I know. I know. But we’re going to do this together, aren’t we? I love you so much, and I’m going to help you every step of the way.”  
“But your Mom-”  
“My Mom doesn’t matter. Neither does the campaign. Only _you_ matter right now.”  
Leslie shook her head weakly. “Not just me. Not when you’re here.”

Ann felt a surge of love for her girlfriend, which made her smile as she eased her onto the sofa, before finding a blanket and wrapping it around her. Leslie was still trembling, and Ann bit her lip, perching on the edge of the sofa.  
“I know you’re scared,” Ann said, bringing a hand up to run it through Leslie's hair.  
“I’m pathetic,” Leslie replied, her face crumpling. “Aren’t I?”  
“Les, you’re with me. Would I _ever_ think you were pathetic?”  
“You should. I’m a _mess_.”  
“You’re not a mess. You’re under an insane amount of pressure and it got too much. You also didn’t eat or drink anything today, and fainting happens when you don’t consume anything.” She leaned over and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to make you some waffles and another drink, okay?”  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie said again, and Ann felt her heart break.  
“It’s okay. Don’t worry. Just keep breathing like we did before, okay?" She kissed her forehead. "I’ll be right back.”

***

Ann took a few seconds in the kitchen to compose herself. She could feel tears prickling in her eyes as soon as she stood up from the sofa.  
It was so unfair. While the results of the meeting technically affected her, she was way more concerned about Leslie’s feelings. She was going to be grilled about this every day for the rest of the campaign- she knew for a fact that the media would latch onto this and never let go. Not only that, but her Mom had done the classic passive aggressive move that she _always_ did, and it had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.  
Ann methodically swept up the smashed glass before making the food. How come her sweet, caring, _angel_ of a girlfriend had to go through this? She always worked way too hard, she loved way too hard, and she was just suffering way too much. It just wasn’t fair.

Ann returned with a plate of waffles and some orange juice. Leslie was still in the same position as before, but she had leaned forwards slightly with her hands wrapped around her upper torso.  
“Here’s your food,” Ann said as she sat down next to her. She watched as Leslie looked up and gave her a teary smile.  
“Thank you, beautiful Ann. I love you so much.”  
“I love you too,” Ann replied. “How are you feeling?”  
“That was so scary,” Leslie admitted. “Thank you for catching me and taking care of me. You’re so wonderful.”  
Ann smiled inwardly. At least she was a little bit more herself than she was before. “Don’t worry about it.”  
“I just had a really bad day,” Leslie said, and Ann frowned, as she saw a few tears escape as she took a bite of the waffle.  
“I know you did,” Ann said softly. “But you need to make sure you’re eating and drinking. What if you had passed out by yourself and I wasn't there to take care of you?”  
Leslie took a shaky breath and Ann cursed her own behaviour. Now wasn’t the time for a lecture.  
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly.  
“No, you’re right. I’m such a mess, Ann. This whole campaign; impressing your parents. I can’t do anything right.”  
Leslie breathing started to get heavy again, and Ann quickly put her hand on her shoulder.  
“Deep breaths. In and out.” She paused. “You’ve done nothing wrong with the campaign. It’s going to be fine.”  
“How do you know?” Leslie asked innocently, and she looked at Ann with such wide eyes that Ann felt her heart break again.  
“Because I know _you_. And you’re incredible.” Ann paused to chuckle. “And where you need a little help, you have me. And all your friends. I mean, Ron is deep in the woods right now, but I know he cares still. And so does everybody else. You have support from all of us, Leslie. Burning yourself out is never the answer, okay?”  
“I know. Thank you, Ann. It just… got a bit too much.”  
“Well we’re taking it slow now. Are you dizzy at all, still?”  
“No, I’m okay. I feel a little shaky, but other than that…”  
“Okay. Well we’re going to sit here for as long as you need, alright? I’m right here.”

***

Leslie had fallen asleep really quickly. She had her head in Ann’s lap, with the blanket still around her. Ann checked her phone, stroking her girlfriend’s hair with the other. It was only ten to six. How had all of that stressful craziness happened in that amount of time?  
Ann took a second to take a few calming breaths herself. She could feel the tears again, and this time she let them fall as she scrolled through her messages. One was from Donna, asking if Leslie was alright. Ann replied in the positive, and that she would explain tomorrow.  
She didn’t realise she was sobbing until she had to put her phone down to put her head in her hands. It was so unfair. There was so much more stress to come, and she hated seeing Leslie in any way that wasn't her usual, bubbly self. God, it had been so scary.  
She cried for a few minutes, trying to keep it as quiet as possible. But she then cursed herself inwardly, _yet again_ , when Leslie stirred underneath her.

“Ann?” she murmured sleepily. “Are you okay?”  
Ann sniffed, moving back as Leslie slowly sat up. She gave her a teary smile. “I’m fine.”  
Leslie frowned. “No, you’re not.”  
“I am!”  
“I’m so sorry I scared you,” Leslie whispered. “And I’m sorry we have to deal with all these uncertainties. If you were dating anybody else, you wouldn’t have the risk of our personal lives getting leaked to everybody.”  
“That’s not your fault. And I don’t care about that. I only care about you, and I was so worried.”  
“I’m sorry. I love you.”  
The two of them embraced tightly, and then they shared a soft, gentle kiss.  
“I _really really_ love you,” Leslie told Ann, making her smile.   
“I _really really_ love you too. Now lean back against me,” Ann instructed. Leslie did so, but she leant against her shoulder instead of on her lap; snuggling down so one of her legs was on Ann’s lap instead. Ann felt a rush of affection when Leslie put her hand on Ann’s, and they listened to each other’s quiet breathing, finally content.  
“Sorry, am I squishing you?” Leslie asked suddenly. Ann chuckled.  
“Don’t worry about it. I like you here.”


	18. The Mural

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Err- why yellow?”  
> Leslie shrugged. “It reminds me of the wildflower mural in, which in turn… reminds me of you. You’re so beautiful, like a flower. And that’s why it’s my favourite place in City Hall.”

Ann and Leslie cuddled for a while and then they went to sleep. The next morning held a strange atmosphere- Leslie didn’t say anything about what happened the night before, and Ann daren’t bring it up in case it triggered something.   
“I still need to move the rest of my things into your house,” Leslie commented while they were eating breakfast. “Or most of them, anyway.”  
Ann cringed. “Are you bringing both the bird houses? Can’t I have just you and leave the scary hoarder stuff in a pit somewhere?”  
Leslie laughed. “Thanks to you, the only pit around here was filled in.” The two women laughed. “But I’m definitely burning, like, ninety percent of the house stuff."  
"This also means you can make a few changes to the decor, if you want."  
"Ooh! Can we paint the walls in our bedroom yellow?”  
Ann cringed again. “Err- why yellow?”  
Leslie shrugged. “It reminds me of the wildflower mural in, which in turn… reminds me of you. You’re so beautiful, like a flower. And that’s why it’s my favourite place in City Hall. It's so calming and peaceful, like you.”  
Ann had to kiss her for that. “That’s incredibly sweet. But I might have to ban yellow in this house.”  
“Are you kidding? I give this romantic spiel about the mural and you say no?!” Leslie was laughing now, and Ann felt such a relief to hear it.

The two continued to chat about other things up until they parked outside City Hall- then and only then did Ann squeeze Leslie’s wrist before she got out of the car.  
“Hey,” she said softly. “Are you gonna’ be okay today?”  
Leslie’s breath hitched. She didn’t reply for a second. “Uh- yeah. I’ll be okay.”  
Ann smiled sadly. “Okay. And you’ve got the lunch I made you?”  
Yes, she had made lunch. And given her a full bottle of water. Just to be safe.  
“I do,” Leslie replied, with no hint of irritation. “And I’ll come to your office at lunch time to eat with you.”  
“Okay,” she said with a smile. “I’m looking forward to it.”  
“Me too. Love you.”  
"Love you too."  
The two shared a quick kiss before getting out of the car and walking into the building. Ann still felt like there were some bad things coming, but this time she was going to be as prepared as possible.

***

“Why don’t you just burn the house down and get insurance?” Tom asked, bored. Leslie had been jabbering about the house for the past ten minutes.   
“Because I like the house! And I need everything to run smoothly from now on, and if I die in a house fire that could potentially upset Ann, okay?!”   
“Ugh, Leslie. What’s really going on?” he shot back.  
Leslie swallowed her next retort. “Err- nothing. Nothing’s going wrong.”  
“I asked what was going _on_ , not what was going _wrong_.”  
“Oh.” Goddamn Freudian slip.   
Then Donna and April were at the door, and Leslie had a feeling that Donna knew more than she was letting on, because she was actually looking at her kindly for once, and even April wasn’t shooting daggers this time.

“Hey,” Donna said as she came into the room. “How’s it going?”  
“Fine,” Leslie said, strained. “We are all good in here.”  
“No we’re not!” Tom replied. “Leslie wants to burn down her house.”  
“Cool,” April muttered.  
“No I _don’t_ , I want to move everything out of my house and into Ann’s house _bar_ the things that need to go in the bin.”  
“Oh, well, I more meant how’s it going running the department now Ron’s gone,” Donna said slowly. “You haven’t given us much more work to do, and don’t you have like some campaign meetings coming up?”  
Leslie knew she didn’t mean it. She was only trying to be nice, and helpful, but Leslie could feel herself getting a little irritated.  
“I have everything under control,” she replied. “I’m not a mess, Donna.”  
Donna frowned. “Yeah, I know. We just wanted to help out more.”  
“I gotta’ ask,” Leslie said, steering the conversation away from that. “Has anyone heard from Ron? How much longer will he be away?”  
“I haven’t seen Tammy in a few days,” Tom replied. “Maybe she’s moved on.”  
“If she has, we can get Ron back,” Donna commented.   
“I CAN HANDLE THIS DEPARTMENT WITHOUT RON!” Leslie suddenly shouted, and everyone went quiet.   
_Goddammit, Leslie._ Ann was only saying the night before that her friends were there for her, and now she was yelling at them. _Way to go._

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, stepping backwards and hovering by the opposite office door. “I’m sorry, Donna.”  
Donna held up her hands. “Whatever, Knope.”  
“No, I’m really sorry. It’s just that I met Ann’s parents but her Mom doesn’t like me, and I’m trying to run the department and I miss Ron, and Tammy might still be around and I need to move house and now I’ve just shouted at you guys! And to top all of that off, the campaign people said me being with Ann might ruin my chances of actually succeeding because the world is inherently homophobic and sexist and our whole lives are going to become tabloid garbage!”  
Silence. Donna and April looked at each other. Tom’s mouth opened. Leslie was vaguely aware of Jerry hovering in the background.   
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I just- I can’t.”  
Leslie turned and ran.

***

Ann had a sinking feeling in her stomach. It came about very suddenly, and for a second, she was confused. Then she saw April approaching her office, and the sinking feeling increased.  
“Uh- we can’t find Leslie.”  
“What?!”  
“Yeah, she freaked out and told us a bunch of problems she has. And then she ran away.”  
Ann stood up from her desk and walked around to meet April. “What did she say?”  
“A lot of things. Something about her house. Something about your Mom hating her. Something about Ron and Tammy and running the department.” Her voice lowered. “And the campaign thing.”  
Ann swallowed thickly. “Shit.”  
“Yeah.”   
Ann moved to walk past her, but then April was grabbing her sleeve. Ann turned around in surprise.   
“That sucks,” April deadpanned. “I’m sorry.”  
Ann smiled slightly. “Not your fault.”

Ann and April hurried down the corridor, where they were met with Andy and Ben, both of them looking worried.   
“I recruited some help,” April explained. Ben was immediately there at Ann’s shoulder.  
“Ann, I’m so sorry about everything that’s going on.”  
“It’s okay,” Ann said, her voice a little strained. “I’d just like to find my girlfriend before she has another panic attack.”  
“God, I hate those,” Andy cut in. “They’re scary.”  
“Yeah,” Ann said as the four of them continued walking. “She fully passed out last night, she’s in a really bad place right now. I just need her here with me.”  
Ben and April looked at each other.  
“Where would she go, do you think?” Ben asked Ann.   
“I don’t know, I-” Something clicked in her brain, and she remembered the conversation they had this morning. “Shit, I think I know where she is. The wildflower mural.” She turned to April. “Can you guys keep looking in case I’m wrong?”  
“Sure.” Before Ann could leave, April held out Leslie’s water bottle. “I picked this up. She might need it.”  
Ann was probably really stressed, because then she was hugging April tightly. _“Thank you.”_  
“Ew, gross.”  
The gang watched her sprint off down the hall.   
“They’re so cute,” Andy commented.   
“They are,” Ben replied. “Shit, it seems like it’s really bad. Maybe we should come up with some plans to help.”

***

Ann felt a surge of relief when she saw Leslie exactly where she thought she would be- sat on the bench under the wildflower mural. She was writing in something, and generally seemed to be in a better position than Ann had feared.  
“Leslie,” Ann called as she hurried down the corridor. Leslie looked up, and put down whatever she was writing in to stand up. She looked nervous.  
They hugged, and both of them squeezed each other tightly.   
“Are you okay?” Ann asked.   
“I shouted at my friends, Ann.”  
“Nobody minds-”  
“Still, Ann. I think I am a mess.” Leslie took a deep breath, and Ann watched her carefully. “So I came here to calm down.”  
“The wildflower mural,” Ann whispered. Leslie looked away shyly.  
“Y-yeah.” She took another deep breath.  
“You could have come to me,” Ann said gently.   
“I didn’t want to bother you this soon again. I wanted to try and solve this myself.”

Ann didn’t say anything- she just pulled Leslie down onto the bench and handed her the bottle of water.  
“You forgot this. Have some water for me.”  
“Okay.”  
Leslie slurped on the water, and Ann sent a text to Ben saying that she found her. When Leslie was done, she picked up a binder that was next to her.  
“I made a binder of all the issues going on at the minute so I can systematically work my way through them. It’s the only way my brain can comprehend it all.”  
Ann flicked through it. How was there _already_ a title page? **“THE BINDER OF SADNESS.”  
** “This is… very thorough. Where did you get that picture of my Mom?”  
“Doesn’t matter. Either way, I want you to know I’m not going to be a mess anymore. I’m going to solve my problems.”  
“Les,” Ann replied. “I mean, it’s great you’re feeling in control, but you don’t have to do this yourself. I said this last night, remember?”  
“I know, honey, and I appreciate it. So much. I just needed to feel like myself again.”  
Ann leaned forward and kissed Leslie, maybe a little too passionately for the workplace. Leslie responded eagerly, and soon her hands were in Ann’s hair. After a few seconds, however, they remembered themselves and pulled apart, a little breathless. And smiling.  
“Should we go see the others?” Ann asked. Leslie took a deep breath before nodding.  
“Yeah. Let’s go.”

***

When Leslie and Ann returned to the office, everybody was there. Bar Ron, obviously, but Leslie could live with that.  
“Hi!” Ben said cheerfully. “Listen, we were talking, and we want to help you out.”  
“Guys!” Leslie said with a grin. “Look, I’m so sorry I’ve been weird lately.”  
“That’s okay,” April said quickly. “You’re always weird.”  
“We made a little list of the things you’re facing,” Ben continued, holding up a post-it note. “And we’re going to help with whatever we can, starting with the moving house situation.”  
Leslie felt herself tearing up. “Aw, you guys!”  
She pulled out the binder and put it on the table, where it landed with a slam due to the sheer volume of binder.. Ann watched, smirking, as everyone looked at it with wide eyes.  
“Okay,” Ben said slowly. “That sort of beats my single post-it note.”  
“You guys, I love you _so_ much.”  
“We love you too!” Andy yelled. Jerry nodded from behind him.  
Ann squeezed Leslie’s hand. She watched her girlfriend soak up the attention from all her friends, and it felt so good to see her getting the love she deserved.


	19. You Really Like Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A plan is made. But after that, some good times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> got some smut in this chapter. maybe one day i'll have the courage to make it as wild as i imagine they could be hahaha

“So, number one on the itinerary is that Donna, Ben, Tom and Chris are going to start organizing your house after work tomorrow,” Ann said as she and Leslie changed the bedsheets that evening.  
“Don’t they need me there to help?” Leslie whined slightly. “I did try to come up with a timeshare so I can rotate between the different activities and oversee them.”  
Ann knew she was just eager to help in every single area over the next few days- something that would be physically impossible. “Don’t you think it’s better you _aren’t_ there? Since you like to hoard magazines from over ten years ago and you have _four_ bathmats?”  
“I’m thorough!” Leslie replied, a slight frown on her face as she stuffed a pillow into a flowery pillowcase. “And I feel bad that they’re sorting out my issues without me there!”  
“They all volunteered,” Ann reminded her. Ann wondered to herself how long it would take to sink into Leslie’s brain that she didn’t need to face everything by herself. Or do everything by herself. Or do everything for other people.

“Anyway, I’m going to have a call with my Mom tomorrow after work; try to clear the air.”  
Leslie smiled gratefully. “Thank you. I’m-”  
“Don’t say you’re sorry!” Ann said quickly. “None of this is your fault.”  
“Okay.”  
Ann sighed slightly. “April and Andy are going to scout out for Tammy, which is probably the worst job of them all if they actually run into her.”  
“We’ll have to make sure they have metal shoes on. Tammy has a history with acid.”  
Ann grimaced. “Yikes.”  
“I know, right?”  
“And then you’re going to try to convince Ron to come back. If you can find him.”  
Leslie scoffed playfully. “I’ll be able to find him. In fact, I’m fairly certain I know where he is already. I just hope he’ll listen to me.”  
“Hey,” Ann said softly. “If anyone can talk some sense into him, it’s you.”  
Ann said that as she gave the duvet a final flourish, and the bed was complete. Leslie smiled at her and walked around the bed to meet her on the other side.

“Thanks. How are you feeling about phoning your Mother?”  
Ann shrugged. “I’m not letting this lie. I’m really disappointed in how she treated you. Even if she is confused. I want her to know that you’re incredibly important to me and, next time, can she _not_ send you a cryptic email?”  
Leslie gave her a hug. “I think it’ll be fine as long as you’re honest with each other,” she said as she squeezed Ann tightly. “I believe in you. And I appreciate you doing this, really.”  
“I know,” Ann replied. “How are you feeling about the campaign?”  
Leslie winced. “I kind of don’t want to think about it for now, if that’s okay? Only a few problems at a time.”  
Ann nodded quickly- she was instantly on board. “That’s great, don’t worry.” Then she gave Leslie a small smirk. “I know a way we can take our minds off it.”  
She gestured to the bed, and Leslie giggled. “We just made it!”  
Ann's next sentence was dripping with possibiltiy. She leaned in and whispered in Leslie's ear. _“I don’t care.”_  
Leslie wasted no time in copying her, but this time her teeth graced Ann's neck, making her shiver. _“Well then neither do I.”_

***

Soft kisses. They were just as exciting as the electric, hard kisses they had just been doing, especially when Leslie was planting them all over Ann’s body. She shivered slightly at the contact, and Leslie only responded more eagerly because of it.  
They hadn’t had sex that many times, so they were still discovering new things about each other. But as Leslie kissed Ann’s inner thigh, moving slowly closer the thought occurred to her that maybe this would never get old. She certainly didn’t think that she would _ever_ tire of this- the way Ann’s legs buckled when Leslie put her tongue between her legs. She moaned, and Ann moaned with her.  
“Yes,” she whispered, just as her back arched appreciatively. "Oh god, yes."  
Leslie felt desire swirling up inside her. She continued, and Ann’s hands gripped the bedsheets, her legs trembling violently.  
When she finished, Ann quickly took over, eager to return the favour. Soon her hands were everywhere Leslie wanted them to be, and when Ann’s fingers entered her body, making her gasp suddenly, she realised that this really was the best way to forget all the bad things.

***

“When did you realise you liked me?” Leslie asked, a little breathlessly, after they had finished.  
The two of them had their arms wrapped around each other. It was a little warm in the room, but neither of them wanted to pull apart. Ann had once told her that people who were in love missed each other when they were gone for just twenty minutes, and Leslie took that to the next level. Sometimes they never wanted to be apart.  
“I’m not sure,” Ann replied honestly. “Sometime last year. I think when you slept in my house for twenty-three hours.”  
“Really?” Leslie asked, chuckling a little. “Seriously?”  
“Yep. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that you took the time to be there for me, even when you were exhausted. Nobody else had done anything like that for me before.”  
“Wow." Leslie was blown away. She turned to face Ann properly. “You know I’d do anything for you, right?”  
“I do,” Ann replied, grinning. They kissed softly. “So, what about you? I know you kind of realised _after_ we kissed…”  
Leslie grimaced. “I know. I’m not that good at… knowing things sometimes. Especially important things.”  
“I don’t think that’s true. You just have so many things going on in your brain that if you thought about them all at once…”  
“I’d pass out?” Leslie said, letting out an awkward little laugh.  
Ann hummed in agreement. _Let’s not think about that for now._

“I think it all clicked after we kissed," Leslie explained. "And I realised that maybe us kissing wasn't something to be scared of. Although,” she continued after a pause. “I distinctly remember wishing it had been us that’d kissed, that night you forgot that you kissed Chris. Remember, you were all _I kissed someone_! And I was like… _what?_ ”  
“I do remember!” Ann said with a laugh. “That was incredibly stressful! Wait, you wished we had kissed?”  
“I think it was just a brief thought, but it spooked me so much I repressed it.”  
“Aw, Les.”  
“No wonder I came around to the idea of us kissing so quickly,” Leslie mused. “I think it might have been there all along.”  
Ann smiled, and they kissed one final time before snuggling down under the covers.  
“It’s crazy,” Ann whispered. “Imagine if we had realised our feelings then.”  
“We would have had more time,” Leslie said a little sadly. Ann shook her head.  
“I don’t see it like that. We have all the time in the world, now we have it figured out."  
"Well, _some_ of it figured out."  
"I just think it would have been… well, there would have been less heartache for the both of us regarding boys.”  
“Heh, that’s true. Girls are better than boys, anyway.”  
“You certainly seemed to think so before!” Ann’s wicked, teasing voice cut through the quiet atmosphere, and Leslie let out a laugh.  
“Oh, you as if you don’t agree with me!” She leaned over so she was right next to Ann’s ear. “You _really_ like girls. Me specifically.”  
Ann smirked again. “I do, Leslie. I _really_ do.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also, all these comments are so, so lovely, thank you so much!! big thank you to rashidaamy for being a legend <3


	20. Into the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Leslie both have jobs to do.

The Parks Gang finished work the next day ready to start on working through “The Binder of Sadness.” They hadn’t been put off, even with Leslie spending most of the day talking about how much she loved them for doing her a favour.  
“Oh my _god_ ,” April had said after a while. “Stop calling us good friends and complimenting us. It’s so annoying.”  
“Agreed,” Donna added. “I might just get rid of all your belongings.”  
Leslie grinned. “Okay, thanks guys! Phew- it’s such a lovely day outside!”  
She ran back into her office and Donna eyed April from the other side of the room.  
“ _Someone_ got laid last night,” she muttered, prompting April to snort loudly.  
When they reconvened outside City Hall, they were ready to split up into groups.  
“I, for one am _literally_ \- so excited,” Chris announced. “We are going to organize your house to _the max_ , Leslie. And, if you want, when you move the rest of your belongings in with Ann Perkins, I could teach you how to use your furniture to _channel_ \- the energy of the room.”  
“Sounds good!” Leslie replied chirpily.  
Tom leaned over to Chris. “Uh- yeah. You won’t be so happy when you see what a state her house is.” Chris looked at him in dismay.

“And Burt Macklin is on the case to find Tammy!” Andy yelled, shoving some glasses onto his face.  
“Yeah,” April added. “And when we find her, we’ll kill her.”  
“Good lord,” Ben muttered.  
“No! No killing!” Leslie exclaimed. “Well, unless she attacks you first. Watch out for that.”  
April nodded.  
“Listen guys, before you all disappear to help fix my life, I just want to say thanks again.” There was a chorus of groans. “Okay, fine! I won’t! Can we at least do a huddle? Everyone say: BINDER!”  
Instead, everyone turned and left as Leslie stayed there, her hand hovering in mid-air. Ann smirked at her girlfriend.  
“What a shame.”  
“It’s fine. We can hold hands, then it’s like a _really small_ huddle.” Leslie was about to take Ann’s hand when her phone rang. She checked the number- it wasn't saved in her phone. “Err-”  
“Oh my god,” Ann murmured. “That’s my Mom’s number.”  
“What?!”  
“It’s my Mom’s number!”  
“Okay- shit. No- okay. What do you think she wants?!”  
_“I don’t know!”_  
“Okay, well. I’ll take this call. Calmly and professionally.”

Leslie answered the phone. “Hey- uh- Sharon! H-how are you doing?”  
She listened for a few seconds, and Ann watched as she made an uncomfortable face. Ann could hear faintly that her Mom was talking none-stop. After a second, Leslie put it on speaker.  
“-and I just think that we got off on the wrong foot. I spoke to Paul about it, and he didn’t approve of me sending that email. And I know Ann doesn’t either, I can just tell.”  
Leslie and Ann gave each other a look of surprise.  
“Err- well… it was a little cryptic,” Leslie admitted.  
“I think,” Sharon continued. “That we should talk through what we’re thinking and feeling and try to put it behind us.”  
“I agree! Let’s have a talk!” Leslie took the phone away from her ear and took it off speaker, covering it with her hand. “Ann!” she hissed. “She wants to have a long talk!”  
“That’s good!” Ann replied, not sure what else to say.  
“Listen- you’re going to have to find Ron for me. Hopefully this talk will last a few hours!”  
“How can I find Ron?!”  
“Try the woods. He has a hidden cabin.” Leslie put the phone back to her ear, balancing it on her shoulder. Rummaging through her pockets, she found a piece of paper with an address written on it. Ann took it hesitantly, certain that if Ron knew Leslie had this, he would murder her.  
“Okay,” Ann said. “I’ll go look for Ron.”  
“Good luck!” Leslie mouthed, before going to sit down on the bench nearby.  
As Ann walked away, a little bemused, she heard Leslie let out a loud laugh. That made her smile. Maybe it was for the best that her Mother and her girlfriend talk it through- if Sharon already knew she had done wrong, it was important that they built up communication. Especially since Ann planned on keeping Leslie in her life for a _long_ time.

***

Ann parked her car just at the edge of the woods. She stared at the Sat-Nav. This was where it had said to go when she put the address in that Leslie gave her.  
“Shit,” she said to herself.  
Looking down at the paper again, she spotted a little arrow at the corner of the page. Flipping it over, she was greeted with a crudely drawn map that just _screamed_ Leslie Knope. There was a red X at the edge of the squiggle, which Ann presumed was her current location, and the squiggle was the woods. Then there was a line in blue detailing which way she should walk.  
Ann huffed. “If I die in the woods, I’m haunting you forever, Leslie.”  
She got out the car and locked it before walking gingerly into the woods.  
She had been walking for half an hour when, surprisingly, she spotted Ron’s cabin. Apparently, Leslie’s map _actually_ worked, and Ann once again thought about how if Ron knew that a map existed, he would unleash a rage onto the world that couldn’t be vanquished.  
She felt a bit nervous walking up to the door. She and Ron weren’t the best of friends, and while she knew he liked her somewhat, it hardly compared to the bond he shared with her girlfriend. Ann was like a weird substitute.  
She treaded carefully when walking up to the door, aware of the fact that Ron was known for setting traps to ward away people. When she got to the door, she hesitated for a second before knocking loudly.

“No!” came a muffled voice from inside. Ann frowned and knocked again.  
Silence. And then Ron was opening the door. Ann jumped in surprise at the shock of hair he now had- his moustache had grown back, but it was complete with a long, glorious beard.  
“Haven’t you only been gone, like, a week and a half? How did you grow all that hair?”  
“Why are you here?” Ron asked, blatantly avoiding her question.  
“We need you to come back,” Ann replied. “Things have gotten a little dicey since you left.”  
Ron looked left and right, before inviting Ann inside. She stepped past him and into the room, surprised at how well-kept the cabin was. It was small, filled with only the bare essentials for survival, but Ann had a feeling that that was how Ron liked it.

“I like your cabin.”  
“I built it myself. Do you want some roasted pheasant?”  
“I’m good, thanks.”  
Ron sat down on a wooden chair, indicating that Ann sit on the opposite one. She did so, and Ron fixed her with a stare.  
“Why have you come to bother me? Better actually, _how_?”  
“Leslie has a map.”  
Ron cursed. “Of course she does. I want you to burn it.”  
“Noted. Look, can you come back?”  
“Is the she-devil gone?”  
“We’re not sure. We’re trying to figure that out.”  
“I’m not returning until she’s gone. She compromises me.”  
“I know, but… well, a lot’s happened.”

Ann took her time explaining the exact situation- about how Leslie had been asked to run for City Council, but that her relationship with Ann might threaten her chance of success. Ron frowned.  
“That’s ridiculous.”  
_“I know.”_  
She then went on to explain the other factors- the issue with her parents, and moving house, and the fact that Tammy was still missing.  
“And it got so bad that she had a total meltdown the other day, it was really scary. She collapsed and…” Ann paused, taking a deep breath. Ron didn’t say anything. “She’s so stressed and she’s running the department _and_ trying to solve all these other problems. We’ve all been trying to help, but we need you here.”  
Ron let out a sigh. “I wish it were that simple. You don’t know what she’s like.”  
“Who cares?!” Ann said back, a little loudly. ““My girlfriend is Leslie _fucking_ Knope, and she’s amazing and I won’t let anything get in the way of her happiness! And, not to be rude, but you’re better than this! You’re Ron _fucking_ Swanson!”  
Ron looked at her, and Ann sat back, nervous.  
“You’re right. I’m Ron _fucking_ Swanson.”  
Ann grinned. “Yeah!”  
Ron stood. “Alright. I’ll come back. For Leslie.”  
Ann expected some kind of hug, but instead, Ron pulled out a knife.  
“Err-”  
“I need to return with my usual style. Don’t bother waiting for me.”  
Ann edged towards the door, watching as Ron began hacking at his beard.  
“Oh, one more thing,” he said as she opened the door. “When you get out of the woods- _burn that map._ ”  
“You got it, boss.”

***

After Ann got out the woods and burned the map, she rang her girlfriend.  
“How did it go?” she asked nervously.  
_“Really well! I think she’s still a bit unsure about things, and she definitely wants to speak to you about stuff, but I feel way more relaxed now.”  
_Ann let out a breath of relief. “That’s great, babe.”  
_“I know! Did you find Ron?”  
_“Yeah! I think he’s-”  
_“Don’t tell me! Tammy could have hacked into our phones!”  
_Ann let out a short laugh. “Alright, fine. I’ll tell you when I get back. Do you still need picking up from City Hall?”  
_“Yes please_.”  
“Okay, I’ll come get you. Love you!”  
_“Love you too!”  
_Ann was on her way to Leslie, which was probably a good thing, because as soon as Leslie hung up, she turned around to see Tammy One staring directly at her and, further in the background, Andy and April running to try and catch up.  
“Hello, Leslie.”  
Leslie swallowed. “Hi Tammy.”  
  
  



	21. Tammy's Threat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tammy is here, and she has some things to say to Leslie.

Leslie was sat in the Parks department at a table opposite the most sinister woman of all time. She was staring her down like she was something to eat, and it was at that point Leslie wanted to get her cool nurse girlfriend to pronounce her dead.  
“So. I hear you’re running for city council?”  
Leslie swallowed. “Err- where did you hear that?”  
“I know a lot of people, Leslie. You’re announcing it this coming Friday, aren’t you?”  
“After I have a final meeting tomorrow, yes,” Leslie replied, before cursing herself.  
This woman was so terrifying that Leslie found herself just telling her everything. Tammy moved to stand up from the table and walked over to the coffee machine. Leslie watched for a second as she spooned sugar into the cup before turning to April and Andy, who were grimacing in the corner of the room. Leslie shot them a look, and the two of them sidled over to her.  
“Sorry!” Andy said quickly. “We spotted her coming to City Hall but then I saw a shiny coin on the floor!”  
“And I didn’t want to run to her,” April added. “Running is gross.”  
“Thanks!” Leslie whispered harshly. “She’s a real pain in my ass.”

“I can hear you,” Tammy said as she turned around. Leslie jumped to attention.  
“Oh- ah-”  
Tammy moved to sit back down, and the room fell silent.  
“Where’s my husband?” she asked simply. “Has he run away from me?”  
“Your _ex_ husband is a little busy right now,” Leslie said quickly. “But I’m the deputy director, so if you have a _parks related issue_ , you can take it up with me.”  
Tammy scoffed. “Please. I know his game. I’ve known him since he was born. He’s run away from me, hasn’t he?”  
“No,” April replied. “He’s moved to Transylvania to become a vampire.”  
“Oh!” Andy said loudly. “Does that mean he’ll set on fire if he goes out in the sun?”  
April looked at him. “Yes.”  
“He’s not run away!” Leslie snapped. “And if you don’t mind, I have a campaign to think about, so if you’d just leave-”  
“I’m not leaving until I speak to Ron,” Tammy countered. “His recordkeeping skills are atrocious, and I need to oversee his tax audit.”  
“Is _that_ what she calls it?” Andy whispered. April snorted.  
“Well I’d like for you to leave!” Leslie shouted. “We’re very busy here!”

Tammy stood up, towering over the three of them and making them all shrink back.  
“Listen here, Knope. I have power you wouldn’t believe. I have the ability to take away Ron’s very independence, and he will listen to _anything_ I say. Don’t think that I won’t use it to have him fire you.”  
Leslie wrinkled her nose. “Are you nuts? Ron would never fire me. He needs me to keep this whole place running! I’m the only one who does anything!” She glanced at April. “No offense.”  
“None taken,” April muttered.  
“I do things!” Andy said indignantly.  
“You don’t work in this department,” Leslie said with a sigh.  
“Oh yeah!”  
“I don’t think you’re taking me seriously,” Tammy hissed. “You have your campaign meeting coming up. If I wanted to, I could sabotage it.”  
Andy stood up in anger. “Hey, lady!” Tammy stared him at him until he anxiously sat back down.  
“You can’t do that,” Leslie said quickly. “What- what would you even do?”  
Tammy chuckled. “I know that there are factors in the campaign that might prove an issue for you. How’s your nurse doing, by the way?”

Leslie and April looked at each other. April’s eyes were wide, and Leslie’s mouth hung open.  
“My nurse is _fine_! Thank you for asking!”  
“Well, it would be a shame if somebody leaked some lewd stories to the press. Affairs… sex… it all gets so much more complicated when it’s between two women.”  
“You’re despicable,” Leslie hissed. “First you come for Ron, then for me, and then for Ann? I won’t stand for it!”  
At that exact moment, Ann entered the room. All eyes whipped to her, and she looked at everyone in confusion.  
“Oh, speak of the devil,” said Tammy with a grin on her face. “I suppose I’ll take my leave now. But until I speak to Ron, who I _know_ is hiding from me, I’m going to be-” she leaned into Leslie. “-breathing down your neck. Good luck with the meeting tomorrow.”  
Tammy left, and Leslie was left standing there. “Just when things were starting to improve,” she groaned. “And we haven’t even got Ron back.”  
“Yes we have!” Ann said cheerily.  
April gave her a look. “Stop being happy, Ann. We’re all miserable.”  
Leslie sat down heavily at the table and put her head in her hands. Ann’s face changed instantly. She moved to sit next to Leslie and put her arm around her.  
“What happened?” Ann asked. “What did she say?”  
“She threatened to mess with the campaign and us, unless we do what she wants. Which mainly involves her kidnapping Ron, I think. Either that or… mess with _us_ , somehow.”  
“Like, _us_?”  
Leslie nodded grimly. “Yeah.”  
Ann leaned in and kissed Leslie, ignoring the way April and Andy were blatantly watching them. “We’ll be fine,” Ann whispered. “I’m not afraid of her.”  
“I am!” Leslie practically shouted.  
Before anyone could say anything else, someone poked their head into the room.  
“Uh- Miss Knope?”  
“Yes?” Leslie asked, standing up.  
“Your boss is outside. He’s shouting at some woman.”  
Everybody looked at each other, before sprinting out of the room.”

***

Leslie was the first out the door. She was met with the comforting sight of Ron, but he was currently in a yelling match with his ex-wife. Leslie was impressed- he was certainly holding his own.  
“Begone, you _wretched beast!_ ”  
“I am going to do it whether you like it or not!” Tammy spat back. “Telling me to leave won’t stop me from ruining _your_ life-” she said, pointing to Ron. “Or _her_ life!” she added, her finger whipping around to point at Leslie.  
“LEAVE!” Ron yelled. “And if you come back, I will invite my Mother down here to have some words with you. Remember how that ended last time?”  
Tammy’s face hardened slightly. “Don’t bring my childhood best friend into this.”  
“You know I will,” Ron replied grittily.  
It seemed to do the trick, because Tammy turned on her heel and left without another word. Leslie waited until she was out of sight before she ran to Ron and hugged him tightly.  
“It’s so good to see you!”  
“You too,” Ron replied, hugging her briefly. “I’m sorry you’ve been struggling,” he added in a murmur. “And I’m happy to help wherever I can.”  
“Speaking of help,” April droned. “I think Donna and the others have sorted all your things, Leslie.”  
“What?” Leslie asked, confused. “It’s only been a few hours!”  
April showed Leslie her phone, and she and Ann saw all the neat boxes, as well as about fifteen binbags. Donna and Tom were posing, as usual, but Chris looked the happiest of all, next to an awkward looking Ben holding a bird box.  
Ann whistled. “Wow. Maybe we should have paid them for that?”  
Leslie turned to her and smiled.

***

Leslie was gone before Ann was awake the next morning. She met up with the campaign advisors, and she had a lot to say about her run-in with Tammy.  
“You know how I'm announcing the campaign tomorrow..."  
William and Elizabeth looked at each other. "...Yes?"  
"What would happen if someone tried to sabotage my campaign?” Leslie asked. “Would they get jail time? Could they get _banished_?!”  
“If I can be honest, Miss Knope,” William cut in. “While sabotage can be dealt with to some extent, I think that, regardless, you’re going to come into some difficulty.”  
“I know,” she said, swallowing thickly. “But I’m ready. I’m ready for anything.”  
“Are you sure?” Elizabeth asked, looking at her strangely. “You might lose the race at the first hurdle. The media could take this any way.”  
“How do you know?” Leslie asked.  
“We may not have had an openly LGBT person to work with,” William started, “But we’ve seen how the press handles it. You need to be ready for disappointment. You’d have to put your heart and soul into it _and_ three people’s worth of work to even see it through the first few months.”  
“I can. I will.”  
“Let’s hope so.”

When Leslie got home, all she could do was fall into Ann’s arms. It all came spilling out, and Ann hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead every few minutes.  
“That bad, huh?”  
“Yeah. I have the official start of the campaign tomorrow. That’s going to be _interesting._ ”  
Ann kissed the top of her head. “I’m so proud of you. Whatever happens. And you should be too.”  
“Thank you, Ann. I’m just so worried. This might sink, the tabloids might ruin us, _and_ I might be too busy to spend any time with you while all of this is going on, and-”  
Ann cut her off with a kiss. “Breathe, honey.”  
“Oh yeah. Sorry.”  
Ann watched Leslie take a deep breath before she spoke. “I think that, while this is all really uncertain, you’re doing so well. And I’m really happy with where we are right now, regardless of all of this craziness. We're figuring it all out as we go. Sometimes that has to be how it goes.”  
The two women smiled at each other, and then they were kissing again.  
“Do you want to watch a movie, or…?” Leslie trailed off. Ann gave her a look, and Leslie grinned.

She knew what that look meant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!


	22. The Front Page

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie announces to the world that she is running for council. The gang celebrate.

Leslie took a deep breath. What would Ann say if she was here?  
_“You’ll do great. I love you.”_  
“I love you too, babe,” Leslie whispered to herself. William poked his head around from where he was waiting by the door.  
“Did you say something?”  
Leslie shook her head. “Err- nope! So, are there many people out there?”  
“Sure are. Reporters, too. A good turnout by all accounts!”  
“Great!”  
“So, are you ready?”  
“…Yep!”  
Leslie took one final moment to herself before stepping past William and out onto the stage. She was greeted with a reasonably large crowd, and there were people with flashing cameras at either side of the room. It was utterly bizarre- yes, she had delivered conferences before, but this was so much more intimidating.

Despite her fears, Leslie stepped up to the podium.  
“Hello people of Pawnee. Press, journalists. Random city hall goers. I am here today to announce that I am running for city council.”  
Leslie smiled as she watched the crowd. Already cameras were starting to flash, and there were people buzzing to ask questions. She looked over at William and Elizabeth, and they gestured for her to continue.  
“I’m starting the campaign as of today. And I can promise you I am going to work as hard as possible to become your councillor. Does anybody have any questions?”  
The questions came quick and fast. Leslie answered them as swiftly and accurately as possible, pretending in her head that it was just a really big public forum. She glanced over at her campaign managers and the two of them seemed impressed, which gave her another surge of confidence that lasted until the end of the session.

When she was on the last question, however, she spotted something strange going on in the back corner of the room. The unmistakable form of Tammy One, edging closer to a reporter and whispering in his ear. Leslie squinted for a second, before she snapped out of it.  
“Oh! Sorry, what was the question?”  
The reporter asked again, and Leslie stammered out an appropriate response. She wasn’t quite sure if it was actually appropriate, because she was beginning to hear circus music in her head.  
When she got off the stage, however, William and Elizabeth congratulated her on her successful announcement. She thanked them, before hurrying out of the backstage to try and see if Tammy was still out there.  
She wasn’t, and that only made Leslie more suspicious. She considered waiting outside and trying to casually ask the reporter Tammy was talking to what she had said, but that didn’t sit well with her. If someone overheard, it would look really bad for her. And she already had enough “bad” press looming. No- she would have to face this head on.

***

When Leslie got back to the Parks Department, it was only Tom there. He was using his Bluetooth headset to talk to somebody about the price of shoes, but when Leslie entered the room, he ended the call and spun around to face her.  
“How did the announcement meeting go, boo?”  
“It went well, except for the fact that I saw Tammy talking to a reporter.”  
Tom held up his hands in shock. “What? Seriously?”  
“Yeah! Listen, I need you to be on social media duty for me. Check the hashtags, check everything. I need to know what she leaked so we can deal with it appropriately.”  
Tom grinned at her, straightening his bright purple tie. “Tommy’s on the case.”  
“Thank you, Tom. The last thing we need is her spreading some lies to make me look bad.”  
“Agreed. Also, what are you doing tonight?”  
“Tonight?”  
“To celebrate! You’re officially running for city council!”  
Leslie shrugged. “I hadn’t considered anything except plan for the next meeting.”  
Tom rolled his eyes. “Leslie! You need to have a party! Look- I’ll handle inviting everyone. We need to make this night about _you_.”  
Leslie smiled at him. “That’s really sweet, Tom, but I really think-”  
“No buts! This is _happening_!”  
“Okay, fine. But _no snake juice!”_  
Tom snorted. “Snake juice got you your hot girlfriend. Don’t diss the juice.”  
Leslie smirked. “You got me there, Tom.”

***

Leslie changed out of her work clothes and into something more party appropriate- her snazziest pantsuit. Ann was due back in three minutes. She sincerely hoped that Tom had already briefed her on the party plans, because after Ann sent her a final good luck text, Leslie hadn’t been able to get a hold of her all day.  
Leslie set about tidying the house. She had stuck to her word when she promised Ann that she wouldn’t let the house get as messy as her old place, and she had pretty much kept it. Aside from a few dozen work binders, the place was presentable. Aside from having people over, Leslie had no idea what was going on regarding alcohol. Tom had just told her to be ready, and that wasn’t a good sign.  
Before she could ponder it any more, Leslie heard Ann coming through the door, but she was walking a little slower than usual. Leslie rounded the corner to greet her.  
“Hey Ann, how was your- WOW!”  
Ann stood there holding a gigantic platter, on top of which was a collection of waffles. On top, written in cream, were the words “CONGRATULATIONS LESLIE!”  
Leslie squealed loudly, making Ann laugh. “Oh my goodness! Ann! How did you do this, you resourceful magician?”  
“I asked JJ! He was happy to provide for his favourite customer!”  
Ann put the waffle display down on the coffee table, leaving less than a second before Leslie was up against her and kissing her. When they pulled away, the two women were grinning.  
“Tom said it went well?”  
“It really did!” But then Leslie’s face fell, and Ann looked at her in confusion.  
“Hey- what is it?”  
“I saw Tammy there. She said something to a reporter- probably something bad about me.”  
Ann smiled sadly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Leslie’s ear. “Let’s not think about that for now. Whatever it is, we can handle it. The main thing is that you crushed it and we’re all so proud of you.”  
Leslie felt a rush of love for her girlfriend. “How long until people arrive?” she asked quickly.  
“About ten minutes,” Ann replied.  
“Is that long enough for me to kiss you a bit more before you get ready?”  
Ann laughed. “Always.”

***

By ten pm, the party was booming. All of the Parks Department was there, even Ron. Jerry had also came, and Leslie didn’t know if it was the half price tequila, but she actually found herself really enjoying a conversation with him.  
Chris was dancing, so everyone else was stood around the edges of the room to avoid getting kicked or hit by his flailing limbs. When the song finished, however, Leslie watched as Tom jumped on the coffee table and held up a glass.  
“Everyone!” he called. “I just wanted to say that I am _excellent_ at throwing parties!”  
Ann rolled her eyes and pulled him off the table, before getting up there herself.  
“And _I_ just wanted to say that my beautiful girlfriend Leslie Knope is incredible _and_ she has successfully started her campaign!” Everybody cheered. “Not only that, but I’m really happy to finally live with her, and thank you again to everyone who helped.”  
There were more cheers, and Leslie cheered too. “Yeah! Thanks guys!”  
“I also want to say,” Ron said, holding up his glass. “That I managed to ward off my ex-wife.”  
That prompted the biggest cheer of all.

When the party got back into swing, Leslie felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Andy and April, who were stood at the open door gesturing for her to come outside.  
She did so, and looked at them, confused, as they pulled her around the side of the house.  
“What’s going on?” she asked.  
Andy and April gave each other a sneaky look before holding up a joint. Leslie gasped.  
“Guys! Where did you get this?”  
“You make connections when you live in a pit,” Andy said with a cheeky grin. “Do you want in?”  
Leslie didn’t know if it was the euphoria of the night, or simply the fact that she was drunk, but she said yes.  
So the three of them shared a joint. Leslie found the effects to be a little strange, but she understood why it was so popular.  
“You’re so cool Leslie,” Andy said as he inhaled a large amount. “You’re just… wow, if it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be jobless and still living in the pit.”  
“The pit’s filled in,” April reminded him. Andy gasped.  
“Oh god, you’re right! I’d be _crushed to death!_ ”  
Leslie giggled for a long time. “You guys. I love you guys.”  
“I tolerate you too.”

***

When the three of them returned, Ben was there at the door to greet them.  
“LESLIE!” he yelled, pulling her in for a hug. “Wow, you smell weird.”  
“Shush!” Leslie hissed, trying not to laugh.  
“But you do!”  
“BEN!” April yelled, before all three of them burst into laughter. Ben, who was utterly drunk, joined in on the laughter, even though he had no idea what they were laughing about.  
“I sort of wish,” he said after hiccupping. “That I was your campaign manager. Tom told me about the thing with Tammy, and- and I just think I could help.”  
Leslie smiled at him. “Thank you, Ben. That means a lot.”  
A pause. “What means a lot? Wha- what did I say?”  
Ann appeared behind him, with Tom leaning on her shoulder. “It might be time to wrap this up,” Ann said to Leslie, who nodded. She didn’t want anyone throwing up in secret places.  
Ron was the last to leave, lingering at the door with a half-smile on his face.  
“What are you grinning about?” Leslie asked him. “I know you’re not that drunk.”  
“I’m just proud. Of us.”  
“Aw, Ron, it’s not like you to get sentimental!”  
“Hmfph.”  
“But I’m proud too,” Leslie said with a smile. “It feels good. And whatever Tammy did, I’m sure it isn’t too bad.”  
Ron sighed. “Whatever it is, I’m sure you can handle it. You've got guts.”  
With that, he gave her a friendly nod and departed. Leslie found herself wondering if that was the most wholesome conversation she had ever had with Ron.  
Before she could debate it too much, however, she felt Ann’s hands on her back, then she was kissing her neck. The two of them went to the bedroom and enjoyed the rest of the night. Very drunk, very giggly, and very appreciative of each other.

***

Leslie had a splitting headache when she was forcefully awoken the next morning by her ringtone. She sleepily untangled herself from Ann’s arms and leant over to the bedside table.  
“What is it?” Ann asked after a groan.  
Leslie frowned. “It’s Tom.”  
“What?”  
Leslie hit answer. “Hello?”  
_“Leslie!_ _Did you see the picture I sent you?”  
_Leslie grimaced. “What? No! I’m incredibly hungover- you woke me up!”  
_“Leslie, this is serious. Tammy must have done something. You made the front page, but not in a good way.”  
_Leslie felt her heart drop. “What?”  
_“It's all over twitter as well. Look at the picture I sent you.”  
_With shaking fingers, Leslie opened the unread message from Tom. Sure enough, there was the most recent copy of the Pawnee Sun. She read the headline.

**LESLIE KNOPE? MORE LIKE LEZBO KNOPE!  
The flaky new council candidate Leslie Knope has a history of sleeping with married women- and turning them gay! For pictures of her rack, turn to page 3!**

Leslie wanted to be sick. And it wasn’t because of the hangover.


	23. What Defines Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie addresses what was on the front page news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel like this fic hasn't got anything to do with the inital prompt anymore, sorry about that! Either way I hope you're enjoying it!

“ _A history of sleeping with married women?!_ I wasn’t even _with_ Chris when we started dating, never mind married! Also, I’d like to know how they got your rack for page three. Wow, I could just strangle every single one of them!”  
Ann was talking angrily next to her, but Leslie just couldn’t stop staring at the front page. She could see her phone blowing up- her friends messaging to check if she was alright. But she had no idea.  
“This is so bad,” she finally said. “Oh god, we are on _day one_ and already people are going to hate me. And I would _never_ sleep with someone married, so the bad press isn’t even accurate!”  
She flopped back onto the bed and groaned loudly. She could feel the tears again, but then she felt Ann flop down next to her and wrap her arms around her, burying her head into her neck.  
“We can figure this out,” Ann said, her voice slightly muffled.  
“Can we? God, we need to read that whole article. If your name is mentioned-”  
“Then I’ll deal with it,” Ann said, sitting up. “I’m not worried about me right now.”  
“Still, though. I don’t want your family thinking badly of you.”  
Ann had to smile slightly at the fact that Leslie was skipping over herself completely and worrying about something (arguably) not as important.  
Leslie jumped when her phone began to ring. “It’s William. Shit.”  
Ann watched sadly as she jumped out of bed and ran into the living room, answering the phone in a panicked voice. Today wasn’t going to be a good day.

***

“So, what’s she going to do?” Ben asked. He had come round as soon as he heard the news. Both he and Ann decided to ignore the fact that they both looked _incredibly_ worse for wear, deciding to instead focus on the matter at hand.  
Ann sighed heavily. “I’m not sure. She’s been on the phone with the campaign people for the last hour. I’m honestly a little surprised that it wasn’t them just dropping her straight away. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting bad vibes from them.”  
Ben frowned. “You are?”  
“A little. Ugh, I just wish Tammy were here so I could strangle her to death.”  
“Me too. I texted Chris about it and he didn’t reply in all caps. I can tell he’s pissed too.”  
“Have we heard from Ron? I hope Tammy hasn’t tried to see him again.”  
“I haven’t heard from him, but she’ll be the one in danger if she does.”  
"What about you?" Ben asked. "I read the article, and they call you Annie Perkinsons. Do you think that your family will find out?"  
"I honestly don't know," Ann replied. "But to be honest, I'm more worried about Leslie than me. I texted my Dad explaining what happened, so if the family still believe the lies after that then it's their loss."  
Ben smiled sadly. "That's true."

Leslie entered the room then, and both of them swiveled around to face her.  
"Are y-"  
"Honey-"  
“Okay,” Leslie said quickly. “I’ve come up with three or four extensive plans to resolve this situation.”  
“You have?” Ann asked with a wide smile. Leslie nodded.  
“Yep. I just need fifteen minutes. My campaign managers only had one idea, which was to deny all claims.”  
“All of them?” Ben asked. Leslie nodded grimly.  
“They said it’d be best to pretend I had a boyfriend, someone who I can be photographed with and stuff like that. They said that I need to pretend to be straight.”  
Ann looked down, feeling herself deflate, and Leslie took a second before continuing.  
“But _fuck that_.”  
Ann looked up, surprised. “What?”  
“Fuck that. I have a better idea.”

***

Leslie wasn’t impressed to see that the same conference meeting she was in yesterday had at least double the amount of people than the day before. Clearly some of the journalists here were only interested in the daily, dirty scoop. Ben and Ann were backstage with her, and Shauna popped her head in.  
“Hey!” Ben said with a grin.  
“Hey babe,” Shauna said, kissing him quickly. Then she turned to Leslie. “I’m so sorry about what was written about you, it was awful.”  
Leslie couldn’t agree more. Reading the full article was ten times worse.  
“I know the guy who wrote it,” Shauna continued. “And if it helps, that guy is on thin ice- he had a sexual assault charge last year and I don’t think he’ll be around for long.”  
“That’s awful,” Ben exclaimed. “Journalism really is a mess.”  
Shauna nodded. “I couldn’t agree more.”  
Ann squeezed Leslie’s hand. She looked anxious.  
“What’s wrong?” Leslie asked her.  
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Ann asked quietly. “It might ruin your chances.”  
“I don’t care,” Leslie said honestly. “I knew something would happen, and I don’t want to shy away from the truth. If it ruins my chances then I’ll just find a new dream where we’re not bullied.”  
Ann smiled softly. “That’d be nice.”  
They shared a tender kiss, but then William was there.  
“Okay, Knope. They’re ready for you.” He stopped to look at Ann. “Is this the wife?”  
“I’m not cheating with someone’s wife!” Leslie practically yelled. “And I’m going to _knock this out of the park_.”  
“You’d better,” Elizabeth said, appearing from behind William. “Because we have much better clients whose names aren’t already through the mud.”  
“Hey!” Ann exclaimed.  
“It’s fine,” Leslie said. “Okay, I’m ready.”

***

Up on the stage, Leslie could feel her legs shaking. This may be the most nerve-wracking thing she had ever done. Looking out to the crowd, she felt a jolt of relief spotting Ron at the back door with most of the reporters- he was clearly there to try and spot Tammy if she made another appearance, which made Leslie smile. And then, up at the front, Ben and Ann were seated. From here, she could see her girlfriend’s hopeful face, and that calmed her.

_She took a deep breath._

“Hello, people of Pawnee. I’m sure all of you by now have seen the front page of the Pawnee Sun. I am coming here today, on the first proper day of my campaign, to deny these claims. And to also say that those boobs on page three are _not_ mine. Even if I wish they were.”  
“Do you have a boyfriend?” a reporter yelled from the side.  
Leslie glanced at William, who nodded. Leslie took another breath.  
“I do _not_ have a boyfriend.” Shocked murmurs. “I would never, ever sleep with a married woman, but I do have a woman in my life. In fact... I have a beautiful girlfriend.”  
More shocked murmurs. Leslie could see William panicking from the side of the stage.  
“I know you probably want me to come up here and say my sexuality doesn’t define me,” Leslie continued. “And I’m not going to do that. Because the love I have for my girlfriend defines me the most. I am so many things, Pawnee. I am a loyal civil servant. I am a dedicated worker. I am also dating a woman.”  
“So there’s no married woman on the side?” someone else yelled.  
“Pawnee, if I become city councilor, one of the first things I’m going to do is make sure that no vile tabloid garbage is spread for the other LGBT members of the government. Because we do exist. And the fact that my sexuality could potentially ruin my chances of running is utterly despicable. Nonetheless, I love this town. And I am going to fight to make it better. And I am not going to shy away from the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

 _Silence._ Leslie felt her heart thumping in her chest.  
But then, a beautiful sound. The whole place erupted into clapping. Ann was the first to leap out of her seat and start the applause, followed by Ben and then Ron. Leslie could see that some of the reporters were looking at each other, disgruntled. But Leslie didn’t care. If she was going out, then at least she was going out with a good message.  
At the side of the stage, William and Elizabeth looked at her, irritated.  
“That was a risky stunt, Knope.”  
“But I think it worked!”  
“Still. Next time, if you don’t listen to what we advise, we’re going to quit.”  
Leslie swallowed. “Well, hopefully there won’t _be_ a next time. How’s that?”  
And then Ann appeared backstage, and they were kissing.  
“I love you so much,” Ann whispered. "That was amazing."  
"I love you too."

***

The next day, the newspapers were filled with responses. Leslie knew it had been a risky move, but it seemed to have paid off. While only a few of them actively praised her work, there weren’t any disgusting headlines, and Leslie took that as a win.  
To celebrate, Leslie and Ann decided to go bowling. Leslie knew “the best bowling alley in the world,” which happened to be in Pawnee. In fact, most of Leslie’s “best” places were in Pawnee, surprising no-one.  
When they got there, the two decided to get something from the bar before they went to the lane.  
“How about you get the shoes and I get the drinks?” Ann asked.  
“Fine by me!”  
Ann got to the bar and was ordering when someone next to her tapped her on the shoulder.  
“Yes?” Ann asked, and was greeted by a very drunk man giving her a look.  
“You’re that nurse.”  
“Excuse me?”  
“The one who’s with that councilor.”  
“Soon to be councilor, yes,” Ann said, hating the way the man’s voice was grating in her ear.  
“Are you that easy, then? Would you sleep with me?”

“Is there a problem here?” Leslie asked suddenly from behind them.  
Ann felt a rush of relief, and turned around to see she was holding the bowling shoes, but she promptly put them down and fixed the man with a stare.  
“I was asking if your slut was easy,” the man slurred.  
Ann had never seen Leslie look so angry before. Her face darkened considerably, and she looked ready to kill. It was worse than when they shut down the government for the summer.  
“You’d better stop what you’re saying,” Leslie said carefully.  
“Why should I? Come on!” The man laughed. “Oh, I get it. You’re into me. Do you w-want to have a threesome? I’m sure I could make good use of your slut.”  
The next sequence of events happened very quickly. Leslie punched the man in the face, hard enough for him to fall off the barstool. Then again, that have been because he was utterly wasted, and the remains of his final pint sloshed down his front.  
Ann could feel tears in her eyes, but then she was hugging Leslie tightly.  
“Oh my god,” she said quickly. “Are you okay?”  
“Are _you_ okay?” Leslie asked, putting her hands on Ann's face. “I’m so sorry, Ann.”  
“Don’t be sorry, that was amazing!”  
Leslie laughed, but then when they turned around, they saw that the entire bowling alley was staring at them.  
“Aren’t you that woman?” someone asked, and Leslie felt her stomach sink.

_Shit._  
  



	24. Damage Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the incident in the bowling alley, Leslie has to do damage control. Ann has dinner with her Mother.

“You _do_ realise he’s probably going to press charges?”  
Leslie removed her hand from the glass of ice and rolled her shoulders uncomfortably. The cop fixed her with a stare.  
_“I know.”_  
“Although, from the way it’s been described by yourself and the witnesses, he was in the wrong.”  
“Of course he was!” Ann practically exploded. “He was being utterly vile!”  
“Okay, okay,” the cop replied. “Simmer down.”  
“No, she’s right!” Leslie shot back. “I have never punched anyone in my _life_ , and now my hand looks like Barney the Dinosaur- ow.”  
“Put it back in the ice,” Ann instructed. Leslie did so, but she was glowering at the drunk man the whole time who, behind the cop, was getting questioned by two other officers.  
“We can get the rest from the CCTV,” the cop said. “Thanks.”  
After he left, Leslie wrapped her arm around Ann, who put her head on her shoulder.  
“Are you okay?” Leslie asked gently.  
“That was gross. I feel gross.” Ann moved to peek at Leslie’s hand. “Are you okay?”  
“I’ll be fine,” Leslie soothed. “I just wish it hadn’t happened; this is all my fault-”  
“Hey!” Ann said quickly. “No, it isn’t! He was disgusting and all you did was say a really lovely thing about me up on a stage when people were spreading lies about you. _Not_ your fault.”  
“Politics sucks,” Leslie moaned.  
“It really does.”

***

“Leslie,” Ann said as she parked up outside their work. “Listen, my Mom is in town later and she wants to meet up with me.”  
“Okay,” Leslie replied. “I’ll probably be a little busy with the next meeting, which will inevitably go south, so maybe I’ll have to just see her next time.”  
“I can cancel-”  
“No,” Leslie said hurriedly. “You’ve been wanting to speak to your Mom for ages. You need this.”  
Ann smiled at her sadly, before leaning in to give Leslie a kiss. “Thank you. Will you be okay?”  
“I think so,” Leslie replied. “My hand only slightly burns, and my notes are solid.”  
“You’re all set then,” Ann said with a grin. “I love you.”  
“Love you too.”

When Leslie got into the building, Ben was there to greet her.  
“Hi, I heard what happened. Are you okay?”  
Leslie sighed. “I’ve come to accept it at this point, honestly.”  
“It sucks. Tom told me before and I’ve been riled up ever since.”  
Leslie smiled at him. “Thanks. What are you up to now?”  
“I wanted to just come and support you at the next meeting, if that’s okay?” Ben asked. He looked a little hesitant, like he wanted to say something more, but he didn’t, so Leslie didn’t push it.  
“That’s really sweet, thank you Ben.”

The meeting went by in as standard a way as possible. Leslie did everything right, by all accounts, but it didn’t stop a man at the side with a homophobic sign shouting slurs.  
Luckily, before Leslie felt like punching again, he was quickly escorted out, but it didn’t stop that stupid sinking feeling yet again.  
The more Leslie thought about it, the less she liked politics. But this was why somebody like her needed to succeed- to _prove_ that there were good people, and to make a change.  
And that was the only thing stopping her from turning and walking off that podium straight away.  
“You were involved in an altercation last night,” a reporter noted. “Anything to comment on there?”  
“Yes- the man in question was a homophobe who said some horrible things to my girlfriend. I warned him and, when it persisted, acted accordingly. I do not regret my actions.”  
“Would you punch somebody again, given the chance?” a smaller man asked. Leslie huffed.  
“I would rather not punch _anyone_ to be honest, Bill, no.”  
“And the man hasn’t pressed charges,” another reporter said. Leslie looked at them in surprise.  
“Oh! Well, that’s good news.”  
“But it’s not very _councilor-like_ , is it? Is this how you’re going to deal with problems?”  
“No! Look- anybody at the scene would agree that I was in the right. And I apologise, but can we move on please? If possible?”

Once it was over, Leslie walked backstage to where William and Elizabeth were stood, frowning.  
“Leslie, this can’t go on any longer. We’re resigning.”  
“What?” Leslie shouted. “Guys, please-”  
“Homophobic or not, we have never had a client who _punched_ somebody, and we want to keep just an ounce of reputation,” Elizabeth said huffily. Leslie slouched back.  
“Great, well, what do I do now?”  
Ben poked his head round from behind them. “Uh- I’ll be your campaign manager.”  
Leslie’s heart lifted. “What?”  
“Yeah! I’d- I’d like to. I’ve been meaning to ask for a while now, actually.”  
Leslie grinned at him, before turning to give William and Elizabeth a look. Both just rolled their eyes before leaving, and Leslie ran to give Ben a hug.  
“Thank you! Thank y- OW! Ow, the hand.”  
“Oops- sorry.”  
“Are you sure about this, Ben? I don’t think I’m going to make it very far.”  
“You will,” Ben insisted. “None of this has been on you. If it were me, I would have punched that guy. He was gross. I just…I want to be able to fight for the right thing. You’re the right thing, and I’m going to make sure that no homophobes stand in the way of your happiness.”  
Leslie smiled at him.

***

“You have Ron to thank for the guy not pressing charges by the way,” Ben said quickly as they left the room and headed back towards the Parks department. “The guy you punched worked for Food and Stuff. When I told Ron, he went and had a word with him. And let’s be real, Ron is the scariest guy in town.”  
“Ron’s a softie,” Leslie retorted. "And blackmail?” she asked, stressed. “What if _that_ comes out?”  
“It won’t,” Ron said from behind them. “I know a few things about _Carl_ that would ruin his career should they be let out.” Leslie and Ben glanced at each other. Ron leaned in. _“Raccoon meat._ ”  
“Oh, right,” Leslie said quickly. “Well, it _is_ Pawnee.”  
“What?” Ben asked, shocked. The three of them kept walking, but Ben looked flabbergasted.

When they got into the Parks Department, everybody was there. Aside from Ann, obviously, but Leslie was so happy to see her smiling friends.  
“Guys!”  
“Hey Leslie!” Andy said happily. “I heard you punched someone, that was so cool!”  
“Err, well-” Leslie grimaced. “It wasn’t ideal. But it was… okay yeah it felt pretty cool.”  
“You were _really_ cool,” April muttered. “Homophobes are evil. I cursed all those reporters.”  
“Aw, thanks April!” Leslie said, her face softening. “That means so much to me.”  
“And _I_ checked to see if the boob pics on page three were real,” Tom added. “And they _aren’t_. I’m sure you’re happy to hear that.”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Yes, Tom. I’m _very_ happy to hear that. Now! Before you all carry on with work, I just wanted to tell you about some ideas I’ve been having. No- April, don’t leave! I wanted to do some fundraiser events in the park for LGBT charities.”  
She watched as her team all looked at each other, smiling.  
“That’s a cool idea,” Ben said, giving her a thumbs up.  
“That was _literally_ , the best idea I’ve _ever_ heard!” came a familiar voice from the door. Leslie turned to see Chris, who strode into the door and gave her the classic finger-gun pose. _“Leslie Knope!”_  
“Thanks, Chris! I’ve already put together the work schedule for you all.”  
“How?” Jerry whispered to Donna. “She’s literally _just_ finished the meeting.”  
“And we can get started soon!” Leslie finished. “Woo!”

Ron pulled Leslie aside once the group dispersed.  
“Are you sure it isn’t maybe time for you to cut down on your hours?”  
“Ron, I’m not doing that. My campaign has _just_ started, and I’ve already had _two_ major issues! I need to work harder if I’m going to get it back on track.”  
“And we’re all here to help you,” Ron countered. “But campaigning is a full-time job.”  
“And I now have a great new campaign manager,” Leslie said, indicating to Ben, who was looking at the work schedule in mild confusion. “Listen Ron, I really can’t. Not yet, anyway. It’s been hard enough as it is.”  
Ron sighed. “You can ask us for more help, you know.”  
“You’ve all already helped me so much.”  
“But we’re your workplace associates,” Ron reminded her. Leslie smiled.  
“Thanks, Ron. Now look at your work schedule- you’ve got a few important jobs!”  
Ron rolled his eyes fondly as Leslie sprinted off to brief Donna.

***

“Well, it was good to see you, Mom. And thank you for listening to me.”  
“I’m just sorry it took us so long to talk,” Sharon replied slowly, reaching across to squeeze Ann’s hand. “I have to ask, though… did you decide not to bring Leslie because of me?”  
Ann sighed. “No, Mom, it was because of… work issues.” Ann secretly thanked whatever deity existed that her Mother didn’t read the Pawnee Sun.  
“Well, I really enjoyed speaking to her on the phone,” Sharon continued. “She truly seems like a lovely woman.”  
“She is,” Ann said. “I… I really love her.”  
Ann didn’t miss the way Sharon hesitated. “Listen, I’ve been thinking. And I am sorry about how I initially reacted. I know some of my sisters might not be the most liberal of people, but I am. I really am.”  
Ann let out a breath of relief. “I’m glad to hear you say that Mom.”  
“And I wanted to prove to you that I’m okay with it. I spoke to your father, and…” Sharon rummaged for a second, before pulling out a box. “I want you to have this.”  
Ann looked at her in confusion, before opening the box. Inside was a beautiful solitaire ring with a glittering ruby inside. Her grandmother’s engagement ring.  
She gasped. _“Mom-”_  
“I’m not saying you’re even going to do it soon. But this was the best way I could convince you that I’m okay with it.”  
Ann felt her heart race, but then she was crying and smiling at her Mother, who reached over to squeeze her hand again.  
“ _Thank you._ Thank you so much.”

***

Ann saw Leslie laying out plates when she got home.  
“Honey!” she called. “I got your text- it went well then?”  
“As well as it could have,” Leslie said, kissing her quickly on the lips. “I’m kind of just opting to ignore it all and focus on the future.”  
“Sounds good,” Ann said with a chuckle. She gently grabbed Leslie’s hand to have a look.  
“It doesn’t hurt that much,” Leslie promised.  
“Good.” Ann leaned down to give it a quick kiss. Leslie giggled.  
“ _And_ I already have so many new ideas for the parks department _and_ the campaign! Now Will and Elizabeth are gone, I feel so much freer.”  
“I’m so glad, honey. I’ll just be a minute.”  
Ann moved into the bedroom and opened the wardrobe door. She looked at the ring box for a second, before putting it out of sight at the top of the wardrobe. For safekeeping. She ignored the rush of excited nerves at the very concept of what the ring meant. She stepped back into the kitchen to join her girlfriend for dinner.


	25. The Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Leslie have a fight. It's bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that my favourite scene in the show is the bit with the ice skating rink. I genuinely think about it all the time.  
> Also yeah I posted the wrong chapter, I've fixed it now!

Ann got in from work late. Again. This was the eighth day in a row she had been on shift, and now she was looking forward to finally having a break. It was probably all the late shifts, but she had found herself getting increasingly more irritable as the days went on. And, more often than not, when she got home from work and just wanted to chill out, Leslie was either on the phone about the campaign, doing work for the campaign, or talking about the campaign. It was like Ann _herself_ was running for council- she could tell you more about the city plans and the voting and the slogans than probably even Ben could.  
And obviously she was incredibly proud and supportive of her girlfriend, but she was starting to long for a day when it was just the two of them.  
That was her current mood when she got in and shut the door, eager to have a long warm shower. She was going to ask Leslie if she wanted to join her, but when she saw that she was busy pouring over some documents, she opted against it.  
Nevertheless, when Leslie looked up at her and smiled, Ann felt that rush of butterflies in her stomach that never seemed to go away, even though they had been dating for so long. Leslie made her feel simultaneously giddy and safe at the same time, and that was a feeling that Ann would probably never grow tired of.

“Hey babe! How was your shift?”  
Ann stretched tiredly. “Long.”  
Leslie tore herself away from the documents to wrap her in a hug. “Aw. Do you want me to make you some tea?”  
“Yes please,” Ann replied. “I’m just going for a shower and then do you want to watch a movie?”  
“Sounds good!” Leslie said as she hurried back to the table. Ann rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. Ann knew that work was at the bottom of the list of priorities, and she was more than used to her way of life, but sometimes it was starting to feel like the campaign was dominating their lives.  
It wasn’t Leslie’s fault- not at all. And once this stressful part was out of the way, her girlfriend would be achieving her dream, and Ann felt guilty even wishing they could have one night to themselves. But, god, did she want one. Back before everything got so stressful, when it was just the two of them enjoying each other’s company. Now things were so hectic.

Ann finished the shower with a sigh, opting to get into fluffy pyjamas and some slippers. When she got back into the living room, however, Leslie was still working. At least there was a steaming cup of tea, in Ann’s favourite mug. Ann grabbed it, appreciating the warmth, and moved over to the sofa.  
“Honey?” Ann called. “Are we going to…?”  
“Yes! Sorry, yes. Just give me a minute.”  
Ann sighed. “Please? I’ve been working all day and I just want some downtime before I go to sleep.”  
“Ann,” Leslie whined. “Come on, just five more minutes!”  
“Leslie!”  
“Ann! The campaign is _finally_ starting to get somewhere now I have Ben’s help, and it had such a rocky start that I can’t afford to let it slip again! Five more minutes!”  
“I know, Leslie, but we’ve barely seen each other in weeks! Can’t you take one night off?”  
“Not really! Ann, I’m sorry, but these few weeks are crucial.”  
Ann rolled her eyes, feeling the irritation grow. “You know, I’m absolutely exhausted. All I wanted was to cuddle for a few hours before going to sleep. I just- I _miss_ you.”  
“I miss you too, but the campaign is really important.”  
Ann didn’t know why, but something snapped then. “All you do is work, Leslie!”  
“You should know by now that my job comes hand in hand with me! It’s my dream!”  
“Well I’m starting to wish it were over! I’m sick of it! I’m sick to the death of it!”

Ann immediately regretted what she said, but she was really tired and pissed off, so she held her angry face and folded her arms. Leslie also held her angry position, and the two of them were left in a stand-off.   
“I didn’t ask to be constantly under stress, I just wanted a night just us. But that can never happen, can it?” Ann carried on. Why was she carrying on? She had already taken it too far.  
“I didn’t ask to be constantly under stress either, but here we are. I’ve put my life and soul into my dream, and nearly lost my mind over it _multiple_ times. The fact that you’re sick to death of it just makes me think you’re sick to death of _me!_ ”  
The last few words caught in Leslie’s throat, and Ann felt a rush of fear as she thought her girlfriend was going to cry. Instead, she turned and stormed off, slamming the bedroom door. Ann was left in the living room, instantly hating the argument and even herself a bit. It wasn’t Leslie’s fault she was busy, and it _certainly_ wasn’t her fault that the campaign had been draining as hell. Ann just wanted a normal night to herself, and she was starting to worry that she would never get that. In reality, it wasn’t Leslie’s fault that it was all so stressful- it was a series of external factors that made it so. But Ann just wanted to feel loved after working for twelve hours.

She sunk down onto the sofa and put her head in her hands. It made her feel sick to the stomach that Leslie would _ever_ think that Ann was sick of her- far from it. She wanted her girlfriend all to herself, and for work to not exist for a while.

 _Sick to death of me. Of me._ God, she needed to apologise.

Ann hauled herself off the sofa, ignoring how her bones protested, and made her way over to the shut bedroom door. She hesitated outside the door, hearing the muffled sound of crying on the other side. That made her heart clench, so she opened the bedroom door and hurried inside.  
Leslie was sat upright on the bed, wiping her eyes and staring at the wall. Tears were pouring down her face, and Ann just felt terrible. She sat on the bed beside her girlfriend.  
“Leslie, I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean that. I’m just so tired, and I know none of this is your fault, and you’re just doing your absolute, amazing best as always, I just… sometimes, I want it to just be the two of us, especially when I’ve been working all day. I haven’t felt relaxed in a while, and I know you’re the same. I just- I could never be sick of you. _Not ever_.”  
Leslie continued to cry for a second, but then she took in a big, heavy breath and threw herself into Ann’s arms. Ann could feel herself filling up, and the two of them hugged for a long time.  
_“I do miss you.”_  
“I miss you too. And I’m really sorry,” Ann repeated.  
“No, I get it. I really get it. I’m sorry too.” Leslie squeezed Ann tightly before pulling away. “I’ve been so busy, I know. And you’ve been really busy. I just... I feel awful, Ann. I’ve put us under so much stress and strain, and I just… I’m sorry.”  
Leslie started crying again, and Ann felt extremely guilty when Leslie went in for another hug. It was probably an indicator of how tired she was when she burst into tears then too, and Leslie pulled back in alarm.  
“No, no, Ann, don’t cry.” Leslie tried to wipe Ann’s face while she herself was crying, and the two of them laughed a little pathetically. “Beautiful Ann, please don’t cry.”  
“I’ll stop crying when you do,” Ann whispered. Leslie chuckled.  
“We might be here a while then. You know how I get when I cry, Ann.”

The two of them took a while to calm down, tiredly sagging into each other on the bed.  
“It’s probably too late for a movie now,” Leslie said sadly. “I’m sorry.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann replied. “I love a good argument.”  
Leslie chuckled. “I’m going to make more time for you. I’d never have felt motivated enough to even do this without you, and the fact you’ve felt like it’s dominating our lives is pretty terrible.”  
“I don’t mind it that much,” Ann said honestly. “I just… it would be nice to have some quiet time once in a while.”  
“It’s a little hard for me to do that,” Leslie said with a chuckle. “But it’s easier with you.”  
“Ew,” Ann said, sitting up to grin at her girlfriend. “That was really cheesy.”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Literally _all_ you do is watch terrible TV movies in your spare time. I think you can handle me _expressing my love_.”  
“I certainly can.”  
The women leaned in to share a kiss, before settling back down in bed.  
“I’ll take a day off tomorrow,” Leslie announced. “We’re going to have a day off together, and it’s going to be great. More than great-” she paused to yawn. “It’s going to be _amazing_.”  
“I’m really excited,” Ann said with a grin.  
“I’m not even going to plan it.”  
“Not even a little? I bet you’re thinking of an itinerary right this second.”  
“Ann, you mind-reading temptress. You know me too well.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has any ideas for some cute scenes they want to see or date ideas, let me know! The next few chapters are planned but after that I'm not sure where I'm taking it yet.


	26. The Lazy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann take a much needed lazy day.

“What movie do you want to watch first?”  
“ _Definitely_ a cheesy movie,” Ann replied, a cheeky grin on her face. “Since you seem to think that’s all I watch.”  
“Ann, it _is_ all you watch. I love you, but it’s slightly terrifying how many you’ve seen.” Leslie spoke through the side of her mouth, making Ann chuckle.  
“Well they’re good!”  
“Okay, fine! We’ll watch a cheesy movie. But if I get emotionally invested and start yelling at the screen, _you only have yourself to blame._ ”  
The two of them settled down on the sofa, donned in their comfiest pyjamas. There was a huge bowl of popcorn between them, with half on each knee. Leslie silently relished these moments- especially since they both felt especially cuddly after making up from their argument the night before. Before she had fallen in love, she had a one-track mind. Work. But now, yes work and the campaign was important, and yes it was _technically_ her dream, but these quiet moments were really something to enjoy. She felt so relaxed. She felt so…

Shit. She was going to fall asleep.  
“Ann,” she quietly murmured around halfway through. “Would you hate me if I fell asleep?”  
“That depends,” Ann replied in a playful tone. “Are you emotionally invested in these characters? Are you going to want to know a full run-through of the plot if you miss it?”  
Leslie hummed thoughtfully. “I don’t care.”  
Ann chuckled, wrapping her arms around Leslie a little tighter and kissing her head. “Then no, I won’t hate you.”  
Leslie hummed again, and Ann found herself running her fingers through her hair. She knew it was the fastest way to get Leslie to fall asleep and, now she thought about it, her girlfriend really needed it. She herself felt pretty tired, but she was content just to laze around, slowly recharging. Leslie was a different kind of person- when she was tired, she burned out quick and fast. The night of the telethon had been a more extreme example of this, but it had happened _multiple_ times.

Leslie eventually went slack against her, and Ann smiled, knowing she was fast asleep. She concentrated on the film for a while, but then she privately wondered to herself if Leslie had actually ended up planning things for them to do. Knowing her, she wanted to make the day as busy and exciting as possible.  
It was almost like she didn’t know what a ‘lazy day’ was. That was fine, though. They were still spending quality time together, even if one half of them was totally flat out.  
 _“You never loved me!”_ the sexy woman on the screen said to the hunky male protagonist.  
 _“Yes I did!”_ he shot back, angry. _“But you never took the time to see it.”  
_ Then the lovers broke the distance and shared an extremely over-the-top kiss.  
“Gross,” Ann muttered to herself. She was starting to see the problem people had in her taste in films. A lot of it _truly_ was garbage.

Ann reached for the remote to change the channel, but then she felt Leslie stirring against her. Ann decided not to move and to instead focus on her girlfriend, who was giving her the cutest, sleepy look. Ann didn’t know if it was possible to fall _more_ utterly in love with a person, but she certainly felt it sometimes. When she didn’t think she could love Leslie more, she did things like give her a soft smile, and look at her through tired eyes.   
“You okay?” Ann asked.   
“Yeah,” Leslie replied, yawning. “Sorry, I was exhausted. Are we still on the same film?”  
“We’re right at the end,” Ann informed her.  
“Can you catch me up to speed?” Ann groaned, and Leslie laughed before slowly sitting up. “I’m only kidding. Ugh, sorry I fell asleep.”  
“That’s okay!” Ann found that she was less squashed now, but she actually missed it.  
“No, it isn’t. You wanted a day for us to spend together and here I am, sleeping on you and probably drooling all over your sexy pyjamas.”  
Ann grimaced a little. “Okay, gross. But no, I don’t mind. I just like being with you, and holding you.”  
Leslie smiled, leaning more into the cuddle. “You do?”  
“I do.”  
Ann laughed when Leslie flopped back down onto her, her head landing in her lap.  
“Thank god. I’m still so tired.”  
“I know, babe.”

Ann felt herself dozing off after another hour, and she actually managed to get a short nap in there, until Leslie jolted herself awake in her lap, prompting her to wake up too.  
“Are you okay?” Ann asked quickly.   
“Ugh,” Leslie groaned. “I hoped I wouldn’t do that.” She rubbed her eyes tiredly. “Sorry.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann replied. Leslie’s body was wired to always be active, and sometimes it felt like her brain wanted to be awake at all times. It had happened less once they started sleeping in the same bed all the time, but there were always a few surprises.  
“Did I wake you up?” Leslie asked, yawning.   
“Yeah but it’s okay! It’s probably time for us to pretend to think about cooking and then ordering takeout.”  
Leslie grinned wickedly. “Oh, so it’s my favourite time of the day.” Ann smiled inwardly as her girlfriend sat up and made a big deal of pretending to think. “I don’t know what we have in the cupboards, Ann, do you?”  
“I actually don’t,” Ann replied honestly.   
“Well then we’ll just have to get takeout then,” Leslie concluded with a big grin on her face.  
“Sounds good to me.”

***

“That was a good day,” Leslie said to Ann when they were clearing the takeout cartons away.   
“It was. I’m really glad we had some time just us,” Ann replied, moving behind Leslie to loop her arms around her back.  
“Me too,” Leslie said, leaning into the touch. “I didn’t realise it, but I really needed it. Thank you Ann, my beautiful girlfriend whose face was carved by the gods and whose brain was sculpted by angels.”  
“What a biblical compliment,” Ann said with a dry chuckle.   
Leslie spun around and kissed Ann, right there in the kitchen. The two women melted into the touch, and very quickly things were heating up. Leslie put her cool hands on Ann’s waist, lifting her top slowly until it was off. Then her mouth was on her chest, and Ann leaned back in appreciation, her hands grasping wildly for something to hang on to. She found the kitchen cabinet, and she gripped it for dear life. Leslie didn’t stay there for long, though, her kisses travelled down Ann’s flat stomach until she reached her pyjama bottoms.   
She looked up at Ann, and Ann nodded at her. Leslie smiled back, before slowly bringing the pyjama bottoms down, silently very pleased that she didn’t have underwear on underneath.   
Ann leaned back again, very quickly requiring the need for the kitchen counter as her girlfriend continued. She found herself staggering slightly under the new, extreme pleasure, but then Leslie’s hands were around her back and keeping her steady.   
“I love you,” Ann managed. “Oh my god- I love you.”  
Leslie paused for a second to tell her she loved her too. And then they carried on.

  
  



	27. The Fundraiser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie's park fundraiser goes ahead. Ann wants to do something scary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I did genuinely find and change the lyrics to Ann Song. I'm nothing if not dedicated.

“Okay everyone! Today is the day! Are we all awake?”  
_“Leslie. It’s five in the morning. Stop calling the group chat.”  
“Tom’s right. And if you do it again, I’ll murder you.”  
“She actually will. She keeps a knife by our bed.”  
_“ _Guys!_ I’m just super excited!”  
_“How is Ann okay with this?”  
_“I’m _not_ okay with this. I was also sleeping. And _you_ _guys_ don’t have her _right_ next to your ear.”  
“Sorry!”

Leslie was excited. Today was the day of the fundraiser in the park. Leslie and the rest of the Parks crew had spent so long preparing this event. It seemed like Pawnee needed a kick up the behind when it came to those kinds of issues. It wasn’t everyone, by all means. But the way the media had treated her was especially terrible. Just her announcing that she was doing the fundraiser had caused a stir.  
“You’re only doing it to _push your agenda_!” one journalist had shouted, quite aggressively.  
“I’m running this alongside my campaign,” Leslie said with a thin smile, secretly wishing she could jump down and shove the microphone in his mouth. “Besides, it’s not _for_ me. I’m doing this because it matters.”  
“What you’re doing is great!” piped up Shauna, possibly the one saving grace at these meetings. It felt good to have _one_ member of the press _not_ be totally stupid. And while the comments were frustrating, it only made Leslie surer of the fact that this was a _good idea._

So that’s why she had been up since four in the morning making final preparations _while_ being spooned by a sleeping Ann. It was called multi-tasking and would have worked _perfectly_ had she not gotten over-excited and rang her friends. Cue Ann hanging up the phone and ordering her to lie back down.  
“But Ann! It’s an exciting day!”  
“And we don’t have to be up for _three hours_. So, lie back down and snuggle with me or you’re on the couch.”  
“Fine. I’ll let myself be snuggled by my beautiful girlfriend instead of doing work. Ugh, Ann!”  
By the mid-morning, however, things were in full swing. The park looked incredible- there were banners and bunting up everywhere, all the stalls (of which there had been many happy volunteers) were set up, and Tom had even haggled an arrangement whereby Freddy Spaghetti had his own small stage, meaning that there were loads of little kids with pride flags dancing around. Leslie watched, chuckling, as Jean-Ralphio showed up with a box of _even more_ pride flags, and was throwing them at people and saying: “Gay rights!” in a sing-song voice. Which actually seemed to be an effective way of selling them.  
All of the money made at the event were going to two ethical charities. Leslie had extensively researched them to find the best fit.   
It wasn’t anything huge, but it was special. And that was exactly what Leslie loved about her town, and the fact that it was all coming together put her in such an amazing mood. The campaign had got off to a rocky start, yes, but it was a few months in now, and things had been busy. But good busy. Not bad busy.

“I can’t believe JJ agreed to be the primary caterer,” Leslie said happily to Ron, the two of them watching as the first few people to arrive bought waffles from the portable truck. “I knew there were people in Pawnee who cared about these kinds of things.”  
“Of course,” Ron replied. “The problem is, when you put yourself out there, the people that disagree with you will seem ten times more formidable than your supporters. And you have support, Leslie.”  
He was right. When Will and Elizabeth had quit as her campaign managers, she was at 1%. Now, she was getting closer and closer to Bobby Newport- her competitor. Leslie owed a lot of it to Ben, who was actually an incredibly competent campaign manager. She liked having him around. Not only that, but her friends were desperate for her to win too. And Ann, of course.  
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you,” Ron continued. Leslie dragged her eyes away from the event to give him her (almost) full attention. “I think it’s time you cut down your hours.”   
“We spoke about this-”  
“ _Months ago_ , back when this was just an _idea_. Look how well it’s done, Leslie. Your hard work is paying off. And now it’s time for you to make sure you win.”  
“ _Ron._ ”  
“ _Leslie_. I don’t want you to burn yourself out when you’re this close.”  
Leslie hesitated. Ron was looking at her sincerely- he was doing this because he was her friend.  
“I know, Ron. Okay… fine.”  
“Good.”  
“Fifteen hours a week?”  
“Ten.”  
“Thirteen?”  
“Ten.”  
“Okay fine. Ten.” They shook on it warmly.  
“You’re going to win,” he said to her. “I have no doubt about it whatsoever.”  
Leslie smiled at him.

***

Once Freddy Spaghetti finished his set, next up were Mouse Rat. Andy had told Leslie something about writing a new song for the event, and Leslie hadn’t really questioned it. Nothing could phase her today- today was going as smooth as silk. It was only when April casually told her that the press were here that she gagged a little.   
“Are you _sure_ the press are here?” she asked.  
“There’s a press van.”  
“It could be stalkers!”  
“Nope,” April replied. And then Ben was at her other shoulder.  
“But look how well it’s going! Shauna is getting a really good article together. This is _good press_.”  
“I didn’t do it for the press,” Leslie insisted. “I did it for-”  
“Pawnee, we know,” April cut back in. “You kept saying.”  
She hesitated before nudging Leslie. Leslie nudged her back.  
“I had to convince Andy not to call the song _Everyone Has Gay Thoughts._ ”  
“Even though we _all_ do,” Ben murmured, making April give him an intense glare.  
“Me especially,” April said darkly, a grin on her face. “It gives me power.”  
Chris jogged over to them, a massive grin on his face. “What gives you power? Is it _endorphins_?”  
“Gay thoughts,” April muttered. Chris grinned.  
“How _delightful_!” He turned to Leslie. “Leslie Knope, I am _loving_ the fundraiser. It is _literally_ the best day of my life. Such a great atmosphere!”  
Leslie grinned at him. “Thanks, Chris!”

And then Andy was ambling onto the stage to do sound check. They all turned to look at him, as it was nearly time to start. Then Leslie felt a tug at her arm. She turned to see Ann, Donna and Jerry, who had a cup of soup. Leslie ducked a little into the crowd to quickly give Ann a kiss. The two smiled at each other shyly. When she was campaigning, it almost felt like how it was in the old days. Ducking people; keeping it quiet. They hadn't been great at that, clearly.  
“It’s going so well!” Ann told her with a grin.  
“I know! It feels like things are finally going _right_ with this campaign. And I love that everyone is donating to the cause!”  
“I wish my brother were here,” Donna said. “He just came out. It would have been nice for him to have this.”  
“I gotta say,” Jerry cut in. “If any of my girls came out, I’d be nothing but supportive. But it must mean a lot to people that things like this are going on.”  
Donna turned to him with a smile. “Aw, Jerry.”  
Jerry smiled at her, but then someone was bustling past, and soup was spilling down his front. Ann and Leslie winced.  
“Ah, jeez,” Jerry groaned. Donna chuckled.  
“Come on, you big lug. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

***

“Okay!” Tom said as he sprang onto the stage. He looked out at the crowd- there were quite a lot of people here. Some of them were in dope face rainbow face paint. “Up next is _Mouse Rat_!”  
The crowd cheered, and Tom inwardly gave a nod to Leslie. He didn’t know how she did it, but she did it every single time.  
When Tom left the stage, Mouse Rat returned to start the set. Andy hurried over to the mic.  
“Right, the first song- err- it used to be called _Ann Song_. But now it’s called _Ann and Leslie Song_. I changed the lyrics to fit my two good friends who are _in love_. And that’s awesome.”  
The crowd cheered, and Leslie and Ann looked at each other in amazement.   
The song started, and Leslie felt the lyrics pulling her in.

_La di da di da  
La di da di da  
La di da di Ann (and Leslie)_

_La di da di da  
La di da di da  
La di da di Ann (and Leslie)  
  
I look to the North  
I look to the West  
I look everywhere for Ann (and Leslie)  
I look on her Roof (that she shares with Leslie)  
She's moved into her house  
They’re holding each other’s hands_

April laughed beside them, turning to give them a look. “My husband is _awesome_.”  
“He really is,” Ann said warmly. April grimaced immediately, but when she turned away, Leslie caught a little smile on her face.  
After the song finished, the whole crowd cheered. Andy’s eyes found Leslie’s, and she gave him a huge thumbs up, making him grin. It was then that they went into all the old songs, and Leslie felt Ann tug her arm again. “Wanna get out of here for a minute?”  
Leslie nodded. “Okay.”  
As they were leaving, Leslie was surprised to see Bobby Newport next to one of the stalls, eating a large portion of rainbow candyfloss. He was speaking candidly with the press and, as they approached, Leslie caught word of what he was saying.  
“I think it’s cool! Leslie’s really great.”  
“Today has been an extreme success. How are you going to retaliate?”  
“Do I have to? _Man_ , this is good candyfloss.”  
Leslie and Ann grinned at each other, watching as Jen Barkley approached him and had to forcefully drag him away. As he was leaving, however, he saw Leslie and gave her a big wave. Leslie waved back, making Ann snort.  
“It’s almost like you’re the only good candidate for this, Les.”  
“Couldn’t agree more.”

***

Ann and Leslie found the swings, just far enough away from the event so that they could talk at a normal volume. Ann watched, smiling, as Leslie looked over at the event, and she felt pride swelling in her stomach.  
“Today was really good,” Ann told Leslie. “You did it again, babe.”  
Leslie smiled at her. “You think so?”  
“Yeah. You really did.”  
Leslie reached out for her hand, and Ann accepted it, just as she felt a rush of nerves. Sure, it was normal with what she was about to do, but it made her feel a little sick to the stomach anyway.  
Before Ann could speak, however, Leslie broke the silence.  
“I’m sorry that the campaign is all I can think about right now. Once this is over, we can have our future to think of. I just really appreciate you because you’ve been nothing but supportive.”  
“Of course,” Ann said, slipping her hand into her coat pocket and locking her hands around the box. “Always.”  
“I just appreciate it so much. All I can think of is the end of the campaign right now, I’m sorry. It must be super annoying.”  
Ann took her hand out of her coat pocket. Now wasn’t the right time.  
Leslie turned to smile at Ann, who had a strange look on her face. She thought she saw her rummaging in her pocket, but then Ann removed her empty hand, so Leslie didn’t question it.  
“Thank you for being so amazing,” Leslie whispered. “Part of me can’t wait for this to be over, so things can go back to normal.”  
Ann smiled back. “Or as normal as it can be with us.”  
Leslie laughed. “Yeah.”  
She leaned over and kissed her girlfriend. And then Ann was slowly standing.  
“That was nice. Ready to go back?”  
“Sure.”  
As they walked away, Leslie wondered briefly why Ann had led her away from the crowd just to tell her she was doing a good job. Her girlfriend was so supportive.


	28. Ann-iversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann celebrate their anniversary.

“Do you have _any idea_ what day it is, Ben?”  
“I don’t. Oh wait, yes I do, because the _Parks Department work calendar_ notified me.”  
“That’s right- it’s mine and Ann’s anniversary!”  
“The anniversary of when you got drunk and kissed, admitting your secret feelings to each other and sealing your love forever. As the calendar snappily calls it.”  
“Exactly! Our anniversary!”  
“You could call it an _Ann-_ iversary!” Chris said chirpily, leaping out of nowhere. Leslie grinned back at him, and Ben was caught in the middle, looking off into the middle distance. Sometimes he felt like the only sane person within a fifteen-mile radius.  
“Do you have any plans?” Chris asked. “I know the most _incredible_ vegan place.”  
“Thanks, but I’ve had a table booked at this Italian restaurant for a few months. I know Ann loves it.”  
Chris promptly burst into tears. Ben and Leslie glanced at each other in confusion.  
“Chris? You okay, buddy?” Ben asked, his hand awkwardly hovering by Chris’ shoulder.  
“It’s just- so- _beautiful,_ ” he said through thick, heavy sobs. The people walking past them in the corridor gave him weird looks, so Leslie hurried to carry on.  
“It’s going to be a great night. After the success of the fundraiser last week, I figured I could do with a night off.”   
“And I approve as campaign manager,” Ben said with a smile. “I hope you have a great time.”  
“Thanks, Ben! And I assume you’re agreeing with him Chris, but your tears are sort of… making it hard to read. Oh, you’re giving me a- a sad thumbs up. Cool.”

***

It was _just_ Ann’s luck that the second they got to the restaurant; somebody was proposing. _Literally_ within ten seconds of them sitting down. It was a good job that she had decided to wait until _after_ the campaign ended. She had been ready to do it at the fundraiser, what’s a few more weeks waiting? Her feelings for Leslie were never going to change, and as much as she loved her girlfriend, the poor thing had a one-track mind when she was in high stress mode. She needed to concentrate on the campaign for now.  
The woman in question had a gorgeous black dress on. Ann didn’t know when she had time to buy it, but it was brand new. It had been quite odd, actually- the two of them getting dressed in separate rooms of their house so they could surprise each other. Ann had gone for a red dress, which Leslie seemed to love. In fact, she _knew_ she loved it, because she came up with _fourteen_ separate compliments for her in the time it took for them to finishing getting ready and get a taxi to the restaurant.

“Oh, how cute!” Leslie said, breaking Ann out of her thoughts. She was still looking at the happily engaged couple and seeing her that excited always brought a smile to Ann’s face. “Ann! Isn’t it cute?”  
“It’s very cute. Not as cute as the gay penguin wedding, though.”  
“Oh my god, remember that?! Wow, it felt like a different time.”  
Ann couldn’t help but agree. Things were so much better now she was with Leslie. The time when they were awkward, fresh friends, the time when she secretly loved her. The time they were secretly dating. Things just felt really good now. Ann said that to Leslie.  
“I agree,” Leslie said as she took a sip of wine. “Did you notice I didn’t freak out when we were ordering our starters? That’s true love, Ann. All my other dates would have tanked by now.”  
Ann chuckled. “Are you saying I’m your good luck charm?”  
“Yes! That’s exactly what I’m saying!”  
“Well then, you’re mine too. And we’re together. Aren’t we lucky?”

***  
Ann’s hand swiftly found Leslie’s as they walked out the restaurant. Leslie smiled at her before squeezing hers tightly.  
“That was a great anniversary.”  
“It was. I particularly enjoyed when you ended up with brownie on your _nose_.”  
Leslie scrunched up her face in that adorable way she does. “Hey!”  
“It was cute!”   
“Can you believe it’s been a year since we kissed in the club? Which, even though it took a while for us to formally label it, is when I consider our relationship starting.”  
“God bless Snake Juice,” Ann said with a chuckle.   
“Hell yeah.” Leslie sighed happily, but then she was frowning.   
Ann frowned too. “What is it?”  
“This has been perfect. And you’re so perfect. I’m just… I’m sorry that I’m so busy all the time.”  
“You’re not busy all the time.”  
“Yes I am!”  
“Okay, one, you’ve already tried to say sorry for this before, and two, you _know_ I don’t mind. Besides, I knew you would be a whirlwind when we got together. I had seen it first-hand and I love you for it, especially now we’ve got into a routine and can actually see each other properly. I’d never want to get in the way of your dream, Leslie.”  
Leslie stopped in the street. Ann stopped in confusion and turned to look at her. Leslie slowly cupped her face. Ann expected a tirade of compliments, but what Leslie said was quite simple.

_“I kind of think you’re my dream. If that isn’t too cheesy.”  
Ann felt her breath catch. “I kind of think you’re my dream too.”_

***  
They couldn’t keep their hands off each other on the cab ride home. For the sake of the driver, however, they kept it as PG as possible. Until the door closed and then Leslie was using her teeth to get Ann’s dress off her stunning body.   
They barely made it to the bedroom before the clothes were strewn everywhere. Ann couldn’t help but think back to their first time- the awkward fumbling, the giggles. It was very different now, but it was still just as exciting.   
The two women spent hours enjoying their anniversary, by using all means necessary. When it was over, and they were panting in each other’s arms, Leslie found herself turning to Ann and looking her in the eye.  
“Whatever happens in the next few weeks, I am _so_ grateful to have you in my life.”  
“You’re so sweet, Leslie.”  
“I mean it. If I don’t get this dream, at least I know I have you with me for whatever the next step is.”  
“You _always_ will, for _every_ next step. Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading! :,)


	29. The Vote

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for the vote! Finally all the hard work is paying off.

The final days of the campaign were here. Months of tireless work, from both Leslie and all her friends, and it was _finally_ coming down to this.  
The debate had been an utter pain, up until Leslie had been able to tell off Bobby for basically holding Pawnee hostage. She had won over the crowd in the last few minutes, and it had been an incredible moment.   
What _hadn’t_ been great were the small group of protesters that seemed to show up at every meeting. No matter how many times the cops ordered them to leave, there was still that little gaggle of homophobes that loved to show up and dampen her spirits.

Sure, they had lessened over the course of her campaign, but the fact that some of them were still persistent was a pain in her side.

What had surprised her was the way Bobby Newport reacted. He had been caught on camera telling the protesters to leave. Leslie had appreciated it, until the next day when Bobby got all the praise for getting rid of them. Still, at least he had gotten rid of them.  
“I support Leslie’s sexuality,” he said at the end of a speech the next day. “And if you have a problem with it, well… you’re a real butt-head. Sure, she crashed a bus into my Father’s memorial service, but she’s a good person!”  
Leslie couldn’t help but roll her eyes from the side, but she appreciated Bobby’s support. Shauna had also published an incredible article of the park fundraiser, which had also garnered her some good attention. At first, she had worried that it would get out that Ben- _her campaign manager-_ was dating Shauna, but Ben had assured her that every good deal they could get at this point was important.

“Just think,” Ben had said to her as they went to vote. “Back when we started this, you were less than 1% and _now_ look at you! You’ve done so well, Leslie.”  
“We make a good team,” Leslie replied with a smile. Ben bit his lip, and Leslie could tell that he had something he wanted to say. “What is it?”  
“Jen Barkley wants me to come with her on her next assignment,” Ben told her.   
“Wow! That’s amazing!” Ben grinned.  
“Thanks. I haven’t decided if I want to or not, but… it feels good.”  
They entered the building, and Leslie gave him a quick goodbye as she hurriedly went to vote. She was stopped by a journalist with a camera, asking her for a statement.  
“I have put everything into the election,” she said candidly. “And I am proud of Pawnee, because we have never shied away from being who we are. That, and hard work, is the final message I wanted to put across. When I become councilor, I will continue to do everything I can for this town.”  
“Thanks,” the journalist said, leaving her so she could go and vote.  
Her heart was hammering in her chest. This moment was a moment she had been waiting for since she was old enough to know what a city councilor _was_ \- probably before the age she was meant to know, thinking about it.   
Her whole life had been filled with dreams, and now, she was less than a gnat’s wing away from achieving it. All that was left now was to wait and see the final result.

***

“Recount! That garners a recount!”   
Ben was ordering them to recount, but all Leslie could think about was that she had let her friends down. All that hard work they had put into _her_ dream.   
She could feel thoughts swirling around her, and all she wanted was either Ann or Ben to tell her everything was fine. Actually, no. She wanted to be by herself and lament over everything. Bothering her girlfriend or her friends with this was pointless, because it wasn’t like they could go back in time and change anything. Lamenting was the best way.  
So that’s what she did. She found the chair that she would never sit in and she sat in it, thinking about how all of her friends were amazing and how she had let all of them down.  
When Ron found her, at first, she didn’t know what to think. And then he was talking about the chair she was in, and she already felt calmer.  
“We’ve been looking for you,” he said slowly. “Ann’s worried. We all are.”  
Leslie winced. “I’m sorry.”  
“That’s alright.”  
And then he told her that they didn’t care about winning, they cared about _her_ , and it had really put things into perspective. Whatever happened, it wasn’t like her Parks Department friends were going anywhere. And Ann had made it clear multiple times that they were in it for the long run.   
“It’s just hard, especially since I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” she admitted quietly.  
“You’ll figure it out. We can figure it out with you.”  
“Thanks, Ron,” she said slowly. “I appreciate it.”  
“Whatever happens, you’re going to be fine,” he told her. “And it’s not like we would think any less of you. The things you’ve overcome to get this far… it’s very admirable.”  
“Thank you, Ron.”   
“You’re welcome.”

***

Ann and Ben were in the room when Leslie returned. Ann quickly ran over to her and gave her a hug. Leslie squeezed her tightly. “I’m sorry, I just… I needed some time.”  
“I know,” Ann said. “Are you okay now?”  
“I think so. I talked to Ron about some chairs.”   
Ann nodded sagely, and even Ben was only slightly confused. At this point, the best thing to do was to just go along with it.   
“Listen, I’m going to go and see what’s going on,” Ann told her. “I’ll be back.”  
“Okay,” Leslie said to her, and the two of them shared a smile.  
When Ann left, Ben sat down in the chair and the two of them looked at each other.   
“I can’t believe it. All of the hard work has come down to this,” Leslie said. “And you’re going to do it all over again in Washington. I’m so proud of you, Ben.”  
“I’m proud of you too! And whatever happens, I know there are good things coming.”   
Leslie gave him a confused look. “What does that mean?”

Ann burst back into the room, making them both jump. “The recount is over.” They locked eyes. “It’s still twenty-one votes.”   
Leslie felt her breath leaving her body. Okay, so… maybe she _didn’t win_. But that was okay. What was seven times thirty-five? How could she stop her brain from spiralling, how-  
“But you won.”  
 _Silence._  
“You won, Leslie. You won by twenty-one votes. It’s confirmed, it’s over. You won.”  
Leslie felt her eyes filling up. She looked up, and Ann was crying too. Ben was looking between them, utterly flabbergasted.   
Leslie took in a shaky breath, her fact lighting up. “That was really sneaky, Ann!”  
“I know, I couldn’t resist!”  
The three of them leapt up and hugged, squeezing each other tightly. All that hard work, all that pain. It had paid off.   
Ben stepped back from them, grinning. “I’m going to grab the others.”  
Leslie walked to the door. “Okay!” She took a deep breath, composing herself. “Whew, okay. I need to think about the speech.”  
Ann was at her side. “Okay, cool.”   
“My voice is super duper shaky and I’m crying, so maybe I need to solve that.”   
“You’re beautiful, and I don’t think anyone will mind,” Ann said with a chuckle.  
“Lovely Ann. I hope not, or else I’m blaming you for that lie.”  
Ann laughed.

***

The speech went incredibly, as Ann had predicted. A rather sweet note came from the admission from Ben that he hadn’t written her a losing speech. It filled Ann’s heart to know that Leslie had all these people around her who loved her.   
Leslie herself was in an incredible mood. They had decided to party all night- all they needed to do was run home and get changed before hitting the bar.  
She couldn’t stop herself from babbling when she and Ann got home. As she was taking her shoes off, Ann disappeared for a second, so she spun around to look out the window.  
“I’m not sure what to wear," she called out. "Maybe something yellow, to symbolise my intense happiness?”  
“Is that a good idea?” Ann shouted from the other room. “I think blue is more your colour, babe.”  
“You’re so right. Wow, I love you.” She heard Ann coming back in the room, so she moved to turn around. “Do you think that-”

_She froze._

Ann was down on one knee with a ring box in her hands, looking at Leslie with total adoration.   
The two locked eyes.  
  



	30. Perfectly Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie smiled at her, and Ann swore it was like looking at sunshine. She was what it felt like to have a good day- she was a hug from a best friend, and she was a kiss from the love of your life. She was every good thing Ann had ever felt rolled into one person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ........ the continuation.

“Oh my god,” Leslie whispered. “Ann…”  
“I wanted to surprise you,” Ann replied gently, looking up at Leslie with an adoring smile. “I hope it worked.”  
“It did,” Leslie said instantly. “I had no idea.”  
“Leslie…” Ann took a deep breath. “I never thought I would ever have a friend as caring and dedicated as you. And then, when we became girlfriends, I realised that I had been missing out all these years. I’ve finally found somebody who can love and cherish me; someone who I can love and cherish back. I love you so much…” Ann swallowed. “I want to be with you forever. And that’s more than a promise _. It’s a pinky promise_.”  
Leslie laughed tearily, and knelt down next to Ann. Ann breathed in. Then she breathed out.  
_“Leslie Knope. Will you marry me?”  
_Leslie smiled at her, and Ann swore it was like looking at sunshine. She was what it felt like to have a good day- she was a hug from a best friend, and she was a kiss from the love of your life. She was every good thing Ann had ever felt rolled into one person.  
“I will marry you,” Leslie said softly. “Of course I will, Ann, you… you…”  
As Leslie tried to think of the right compliment to fit the occasion, Ann laughed, because she ended up giving up on something that could quite put into words how she felt, and opted to kiss her instead.

After a few seconds, she pulled apart.  
“I can’t believe we’re engaged!”  
“Me neither! I wanted to do it at the fundraiser but then I felt bad. I didn’t want to distract from your work or anything.”  
Leslie looked at her with a soft, sad smile. “Aw, Ann! You’re too sweet. You know you come above work. Work is fourth, remember?”  
“Still,” Ann said, taking Leslie’s hands. “I didn’t want anything to get in the way. And look at you, you’ve…” Ann gestured wildly. “You’ve done so well.”  
“It’s all because of you,” Leslie said sincerely. “You made me feel like I could win. And, obviously, I owe a lot to our friends. But you’ve been here every single step of the way for me, and I… I just love you so much.”  
The two of them rested their foreheads against each other, taking a second.  
“I can’t wait to marry you,” Leslie whispered. Ann smiled.  
“Me neither.”

The two of them stood slowly, and then they were kissing with all the passion in the universe. Leslie kept feeling waves of happiness, it was unreal.  
“We still need to-” she kissed Ann. “-get ready for the-” she kissed Ann again. “-party.”  
“Shit, yeah,” Ann said, taking her hand out from under Leslie’s shirt. “Maybe I should have waited until afterwards.”  
“No, every single second I am engaged to you is the best second of my life,” Leslie said matter-of-factly.  
“And does being councillor help?” Ann asked with a grin.  
Leslie put her hands out. One of them was out in front of her chest. She indicated it. “Council.” Then she raised her other hand high up above her head. “Being Ann’s fiancé.”  
Ann laughed. “Still, I bet you’re really excited to start.”  
“Let’s just say it’s been an amazing day.”

***

Leslie and Ann decided on the way out to keep the proposal quiet and instead focus on the result of the election. That was more Ann’s idea.  
“I want them to focus on your achievements,” she explained as she put her final coat of lipstick on. “I’d rather we do the party for us another night. Is that okay?”  
“Ann! I’m going to struggle to keep this to myself!” Leslie admitted. Ann laughed.  
“Just think about the cool chair you’re going to get to sit in. And we can finally have our park!”  
Leslie smiled. “They’re both very good points. But we’re also _engaged_.”  
“Just think,” Ann whispered. “We can have two parties. We’ll announce it in work on Monday, and then you can plan an engagement party.”  
Leslie smiled softly, pulling her in for a kiss. “Okay. You’ve got my attention.”

The night out was nothing short of spectacular. Ann was so happy to see all their friends celebrating all their hard work and, especially, giving Leslie the praise she deserved. They ended up in the Snakehole, as per usual, and when they got there, Ben pulled her to the side.  
“Did you do it?” he asked. Ann had a jolt of recognition. She forgot that, a few days prior, she had let it slip to Ben what her plans were. Probably because he was so trustworthy and kind.  
“I did,” Ann replied with a smile. “But can you keep it on the down low? I want tonight to be about Leslie. Celebrating her- _our_ \- hard work.”  
Ben smiled. “You’re sweet to her. And she loves you a lot. I know you’ll both be really happy.”  
He put his hand out for a high five, and Ann happily accepted.   
It was then that Tom came over with a round of shots, and the two of them gave each other one last grin before joining the crowd. Ann’s eyes found Leslie's, and they smiled at each other. For Ann, it felt like she had the best secret in the universe. It felt like how it did when they first started dating, and Ann almost wanted to cry at the rush of nostalgia.

And then people were giving drunken speeches, each of them getting up to stand on a chair. Ann listened to them all, but she was more interested in watching Leslie’s face as she reacted to them all. Tom’s surprisingly heartfelt speech that was only ruined at the end by him mentioning that they had once kissed. Ben’s lovely words, saying that he always believed in her. Ron’s speech was short and sweet, a simple “well done.”  
And then Leslie hauled herself up there, finally.  
“I want to thank you all so much. I would never have done this by myself. I was once called the _energizer bunny_ of the government,” she said, looking directly at Ben, who whooped. “But in reality, I would be nothing without my friends. I love you all, and I am so thankful.”  
Ann didn’t give a speech, but her kiss that she gave Leslie when she hobbled back down onto the floor (she hoped) spoke enough.

It was when they were leaving, all of their friends drunkenly stumbling into cabs or (in Donna’s case) going home with a _rather attractive_ muscled man, that Leslie felt a rush of desire for her girlfriend. They only had to wait until they got home, and then they were all over each other.  
While the campaign had been going on, each time they slept together felt desperate, like they weren’t going to get time like that again for a while. They had both been so busy that, while they did do it a lot, it wasn’t nearly as frequent as they had liked. It occurred to Leslie while she was undressing her girlfriend that, while she would be busy on the council, they wouldn’t have a stress like _that_ again for a _long_ time.

“I love you,” Leslie whispered as she took off her underwear. Ann kissed her fiercely.  
“I love you too.”  
“I can’t wait to marry you.”  
“Me neither.”  
Hot, desperate kisses. _It was intense._ The two of them felt such joy, coupled with an intense relief, that it was a sensation that neither of them had quite felt before. It sent them into the throws of ecstasy and, when they were done, they lay together in utter bliss.  
Afterwards, they spent their final hours awake giving each other loving kisses, whispering to each other for the rest of the night. Leslie talked at length about how much she loved Ann. It wasn’t like she hadn’t heard it before, but it still made Ann so happy to hear it.  
And then Ann was telling Leslie all the great things about herself because, honestly, she needed to hear it sometimes. And then they fell asleep together, perfectly happy.

***

“Guys!” Leslie called as she and Ann entered the office together on Monday morning. “I have an announcement!”  
April groaned from her desk. “Are you running for council again?”  
Leslie squinted at her in disbelief. “No, I’m starting that tomorrow. And I won the other day, remember?”  
“Not really,” April muttered. “I got really drunk at the after-party.”  
“She did,” Andy said with a laugh. “I didn’t realise she could speak another language.”  
Ben shot Andy a look. “Seriously?”  
“Guys!” Leslie said again. Everyone turned to look at her. _“I have an announcement.”  
_“You said that already,” Tom said. “Will you just-”  
“Leslie and I are engaged,” Ann cut in, since this could go on for a while.  
“WHAT?!” Andy yelled. “Woah! No way!”  
Leslie and Ann grinned at each other. They looked at their friends, who all looked over the moon. Even Donna was smiling! And Ron, well… he was smiling, but it was a Ron smile. But Leslie knew that meant he was really pleased for the both of them.  
“Wow!” Chris said, running over to give them both a tight hug. “You two must be _so perfectly happy._ ”  
“Yeah,” Leslie said, looking at Ann. “We are.”


	31. Engagement Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The engagement party is here and Leslie is nervous for her and Ann's parents to meet. Not only that, but Ben has some worries of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sometimes I have so many fic chapters ready and then I can't think of anything to write for ages. this chapter is coming very quickly after the last one lol sorry

Leslie couldn’t decide what she wanted to look at- the pile of work on her desk or the ring that was glittering on her finger.   
Was it too cliché to say that it fit perfectly? It was more surprising than anything, since it used to belong to Ann’s Grandmother. Leslie felt a little anxious putting a family heirloom on her finger, but apparently Sharon had been really eager for her to have it.   
That made Leslie feel so happy. To think that, a few months ago, she was worried that Ann’s Mother hated her. She was also so quick to jump to the bad conclusions, and sometimes Ann had to reign her in. But that was fine, because sometimes she had to push Ann a little further. They were a weird balance of a couple, and it felt right.

Leslie was snapped out of her thoughts when Councilman Jamm (a total butt-face, by all accounts) said something loudly next to her. Okay, she probably shouldn’t think about her beautiful fiancé while in work.   
It was a Friday, and the first week on the council had gone exceptionally well. Leslie felt like she was living her dream job, and she was finally able to do things that she had only imagined were possible. She was still making a difference in the Parks Department too, of course. She would never forget her roots, and parks were what made her happiest.   
Another thing that made her happy had been planning the engagement party, which was set to happen tonight- Friday night.   
Everybody was invited- including extended relatives, which gave Leslie _slight_ anxiety. That included her Mother, Marlene Griggs-Knope, and Ann’s parents- Paul and Sharon Perkins. They were the odd few aunties and uncles thrown in there also, and then all her friends. Leslie just wanted to make sure that her and Ann’s parents got on, since they were going to be together forever and ever.  
“What do you think, Knope?”  
Leslie jumped out of her thoughts. “Oh! I have the exact solution, actually…”

***

“Are you nervous?” Leslie asked as she hung a bunting up on the wall- black and gold. She didn’t know if getting engaged had a colour scheme, but April said she would only come if she could wear a funeral gown, and she wanted to make sure it matched. “Because I’m really nervous.”  
Ann, who was holding the chair steady underneath her, said she wasn’t. “It’s going to be fine, Leslie. Either way, we’re _already_ engaged, so…”  
“I was going to ask about that,” Leslie said as she jumped down. “Did you speak to my Mom about it?”  
Ann bristled. “Sort of. I had a _very_ short and awkward lunch date with her. She was between meetings and said she had fifteen minutes to talk so I had to cram that important conversation into that timeframe. I think I came off a little intense. She didn’t seem to mind, though.”  
“Us Knope women are very good at keeping time,” Leslie said. “And knowing how to use it most efficiently. We’re also pretty intense ourselves, so maybe she didn’t notice.”  
“Sure,” Ann said with a slight frown. “Anyway, she seemed excited. And since she’s coming here tonight, I don’t think you have to worry, babe.”  
Leslie let out a soft sigh of relief. “You’re right. I’m worrying over nothing.”  
Ann kissed her cheek. “Of course I’m right.”  
“And are you okay with the whole family thing?” Leslie asked her carefully. “I know that you used to think that they were a little…”  
“Homophobic?” Ann asked. Leslie nodded awkwardly. “I think that most of those worries have passed now, and the people I’m concerned about haven’t been invited. We’ve been out for like a _year_ now, they need to get used to it.”  
Leslie grinned. “I love confident Ann. And I’m really proud of you, you know that, right?”  
The two leaned in for a quick kiss.   
“I’m proud of you too.”

***

By seven pm, the party was in full swing. Andy had been ordered to not hog the snack bowls or the buffet, promptly followed by Ron saying he would “guard the bacon wrapped shrimp,” much to Leslie’s relief, although Ann suspected he just wanted to make sure nobody else got any.  
“Hey!” Ben said, coming over to the couple and giving them both a hug. “The party’s great!”  
“Thanks!” they said simultaneously, glancing at each other in amusement.  
“And your first week on the council went well?” Ben asked. Leslie nodded.  
“I feel like I’m walking on a cloud, Ben,” Leslie said a little dreamily. Ben smiled.  
“I’m glad. You deserve it.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Hey, listen, I’m flying to Washington tomorrow, so I won’t see you guys for a few months…”  
“Oh yeah!” Ann said in recognition. “You’re going to have a wonderful time!”  
“And you’re going to do wonders for those bozos over there,” Leslie said, leaning over and nudging him. Ben laughed.  
“Thank you, I hope so. I also think you’re pretending they’re bozos to make me feel better.”  
“I bet Shauna is going to miss you,” Ann added. Ben bristled slightly.  
“Yeah… She understands it’s my dream, but… I don’t know, guys. She doesn’t seem happy with it. I nearly cancelled the trip-”  
“WHAT?! But it’s your _dream_!!!” Leslie yelled, prompting a few people to turn around. Ann gestured that everything was fine before shooting her a warning look.   
Ben squirmed. “We’ll just have to see how it goes, I guess.”  
“Either way, you’re going to be amazing,” Leslie said, bringing him in for one last hug.  
“Thanks, guys.”   
Just as Ben left, Chris jumped over to them, jogging on the spot.   
“Hey guys! How’s Ben? He seems a little depressed.”  
“I think he’s anxious about Washington,” Ann said. Chris nodded sagely.  
“I have been his council these past few days. Shauna Mulwae-Tweep is a wonderful individual, but she doesn’t seem very recipient to Ben’s feelings. Not like you two, for example.”  
Leslie and Ann smiled at each other. “Well, I have a sun goddess for a girlfriend,” Leslie hummed.  
“And I have a cool city councillor for mine.”  
Chris grinned at them. _“True love. Is. Amazing.”_

***

Paul and Sharon arrived at half eight, just ten minutes after Marlene did. Ann invited them in, grinning, and Leslie felt like she and her Mother were on display somehow, with the both of them stood in the living room smiling stiffly.   
As Ann walked her parents over, she heard her Mother whisper: “Why is that girl dressed as a Victorian mourner?”   
“That must be the style,” Paul replied quietly. Ann did her absolute best to not burst out into fits of laughter, instead focusing on the “legendary meeting of the matriarchies” as Leslie had catchily named it. Her Father was also included in the extended title, but Ann hadn’t memorised it all.  
“Hello! We finally meet!” Marlene called loudly, and Leslie found herself looking around the room and making awkward eye contact with Tom, who winced. And if Tom winced, that probably wasn’t a good sign.  
“Hello!” Paul said warmly, holding out his hand for Marlene to shake, which she did with two hands. And then she was moving to hug Sharon, who accepted the hug, surprised.   
“It’s simply wonderful to meet you both,” Marlene said, in what Leslie knew was her best “I’m a politician and I’m going to get you to like me” voice.   
Ann’s parents smiled. “Same for you,” Sharon said. “What a wonderful announcement!”  
“Truly,” Marlene said. “Your daughter presented a very memorable case for why I should let her marry my Leslie. It only took fifteen minutes to convince me! I think she was probably nervous.”  
Both Ann and Leslie grimaced. _Already_ the two of them were embarrassed.   
“Oh, the same for _your_ daughter! You should have seen her the first time we met- just a bundle of nerves! But _so_ eager,” Sharon said with a laugh, prompting Marlene to laugh as well.   
“Well, this is the girl who’s been saying campaign speeches in her sleep since she was six and a half!”  
“Incredible! Anyone for a drink?” Paul asked, and the three of them burst out laughing- for some reason.

Leslie leaned over to Ann. “I don’t think we need to oversee this,” she whispered.  
“Agreed,” Ann shot back. “It’s going scarily well- I want to leave.”  
The two of them edged away from that clash of the titans. Ann took Leslie’s hand and they both stepped out into the front garden for a minute. It was a calm, cool night, and the fairy lights Leslie had hooked onto the fence months ago were twinkling brightly.   
“Things are going really well,” Leslie said to Ann. Ann nodded.  
“They are. Although as we walked through, I _did_ catch Andy walking around with a chips bowl.”  
“I can forgive him,” Leslie replied. “Since I’m so happy right now.”  
“Can you forgive Ron for eating all the bacon wrapped shrimp?”  
“Definitely,” Leslie replied. Ann smiled, and the two of them leaned in to share a kiss. “I love you,” Leslie continued. “So, so much. I sort of wish I could propose to you so I could tell you how much.”  
Ann laughed. “That’s the most Leslie Knope thing I’ve ever heard.”

She laughed again as Leslie clumsily got down onto one knee, ignoring the fact that the dress she was in was probably not designed for that.  
Ann wanted to tell her she was crazy, but then Leslie was gripping her hands delicately, and looking at her with such a cute look in her eye that Ann’s heart melted instead.  
“I love you,” she said simply. “I never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you. Not ever. And it took me years of pain, but then I found you, and everything made sense. I was just waiting for you. And you make me so, indescribably happy. I’m serious- usually I can put all my feelings into a compliment, but I don’t think I can quite do that anymore. Will you marry me?”  
Ann chuckled softly, her eyes filling with tears. “Aw, Leslie… yes, I will.”  
Leslie leapt up. “Great!”  
The two melted into another kiss.   
“We should probably get back to the party,” Ann whispered.   
“Okay,” Leslie whispered back. “Just one more minute.”  
  



	32. Sick Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann gets sick the day before one of Leslie's meetings. They end up having a (somewhat) serious conversation.

Leslie was lying in bed waiting for Ann to wake up. It was their day off together and Leslie had slept in until seven thirty so as to not wake up her fiancé, but it was now nine thirty and she still wasn’t awake. She had spent those few hours thinking about the coming Monday- she had a meeting, which she had already (potentially) overprepared for. It was one of those “make or break” meetings- if she did well, then she believed she was good at her job.  
She had done all the preparation she could, and the night before was when Ann casually suggested that they have a nice day together, to ease the nerves. Leslie had hastily agreed. The Leslie of the past would have declined, and said that she needed to work, but now she was in love with someone as amazing as Ann, she wanted to spend as much time as possible with her family.

When Leslie rolled over to face Ann, she was surprised to see that she looked flushed. In fact, Leslie could feel the heat from where she was.  
“Ann, sweetie,” Leslie whispered, putting her hand on her forehead.  
Ann stirred slightly. “Hm?”  
“You’re burning up.”  
Ann groaned. “I know. I feel it now. And I feel terrible.”  
Leslie hummed sympathetically, moving Ann’s sweaty hair away from her face to kiss her forehead.  
“I’ll get you some water.”  
“Thank you.”  
Leslie extracted herself from the bed and walked to the kitchen, her brain whirring. Ann had been fine the night before, hadn’t she? Maybe a little quieter, but Leslie assumed it was because she was tired. And then something clicked.  
_“A little boy coughed on me yesterday,” Ann said with a grimace. “Like fifteen times.”  
“Aw no,” Leslie said with a frown. “It’s a good thing you’re the best nurse in the world and you cured him.”  
Ann snorted. “Yeah, but was it worth it?”  
“Hell no. That’s gross.”  
_Leslie groaned softly. She was ninety-five percent certain that Ann had caught something from one of the kids at the hospital. Goddammit.

Leslie was walking back into the bedroom when Ann appeared in the doorway. In the light, it was pretty clear she wasn’t well, and Leslie quickly looped her arm around her back to keep her steady.  
“Here’s you water,” she said softly. “Do you want some paracetamol? I have some here for you.”  
Ann accepted it gratefully, downing the pills before she took a long drink. When she was finished, she groaned.  
“All my bones are in agony.”  
Leslie made a noise of sympathy and pulled her in for a hug, feeling her heart swell with love when Ann leant her head on her shoulder, leaning into the embrace. She was still really warm, though. Leslie pulled away to look at her, feeling her head. “You need to sleep.”  
“I don’t think I can.”  
Leslie hesitated. “Why don’t we put a movie on, and I’ll lie on the couch with you, how’s that?”  
Ann looked at her with a small smile. “That might help. Thank you.”  
Leslie smiled back. “Okay. I’ll get some blankets, why don’t you go and lie down.”  
Leslie disappeared, and Ann flopped down onto the couch with a grimace. It was crazy to think that she had been more or less fine last night, but as soon as she had woken up this morning, she felt awful. At least she got a few hours sleep, since she didn’t feel like it was at all possible now.

Leslie returned, and moved to sit down with her.  
“Wait,” Ann whispered. “You’ll get sick if you lie with me.”  
“I don’t care,” Leslie said. “Besides, if I get sick, I’ll just go to work anyway, you know me.”  
Ann grimaced. “That’s not a very good idea.”  
Leslie didn’t reply, instead she placed an ice pack on her head that had been wrapped in multiple pillow cases. Ann sighed at the cold contact. Leslie moved so Ann was lying on her, and then put the blanket around the both of them.  
“Are you comfy?” she asked softly. Ann nodded.  
“Mm.” She could already feel herself getting sleepy. How did Leslie do it? She was like a wizard.  
“Good,” Leslie said, kissing her forehead. The tv was on quiet, and Leslie had a binder on the arm of the sofa which she was flicking through with her free hand. The other was wrapped around Ann, who she could feel was dropping off beside her. Leslie was glad she went the toilet before she settled down, because she sensed she wouldn’t be moving for a while.

When Ann woke up next, she was far too hot, so Leslie was getting rid of the blankets and Ann lay back down on her, whining softly.  
“Do you need something else?” Leslie asked her. Ann shook her head.  
“No, I just need to lie here until I slowly die.”  
Leslie scoffed. “Well, I don’t _really_ want that to happen. Can you manage some toast or something? And I’ll get you another drink.”  
Ann grumbled, and Leslie took that as a yes. As she stood, Ann grabbed her hand and looked at her intensely.   
“Do you remember snake juice?”  
Leslie frowned. “Yeah?”  
“This feels worse than that. Except this time, I don’t have snow trousers on.”  
“Has your brain melted, Ann? Do I need to be concerned?”  
“It doesn’t matter. I’m just saying it’s worse than snake juice.”  
“Okay, so I have you on record for that.” Leslie leaned down and kissed her. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

When Leslie came back, Ann was scrunching up her face in pain, prompting Leslie to feel her forehead. She was running a bit of a fever.  
“Are you okay?” Leslie asked softly. Ann nodded.  
“Yeah, my brain feels like mush, but I’ll live.”  
"Does it hurt?"  
"A bit."  
"Aw, sweetie."  
The two of them settled down, and Leslie made sure Ann drank the water and ate even just a little bit of toast. When that was finished, Leslie drank deeply from a glass of iced tea.  
“I want a baby,” Ann said suddenly, prompting Leslie to cough into the glass, spluttering everywhere. “After the wedding,” she added hastily. “We’re so busy at the minute, but I just think it would be a good idea and I love you so much so… afterwards… would you want to?”  
Leslie finished coughing and put the glass down. “I really would,” she replied, feeling Ann’s forehead again. Still warm. She decided to just roll with it. “I really, really would, Ann.”  
“And… we would make an amazing baby,” Ann slurred, smiling up at her. Leslie could tell she was a little out of it from how flushed her cheeks were. She felt a pang of _something_ in her chest.  
“Go back to sleep,” Leslie said in a soothing voice. “We can talk more about this later.”  
“Okay,” Ann groaned, flopping down onto Leslie’s lap. Leslie couldn’t help but chuckle- sick Ann was almost as stubborn as regular Leslie. It was sort of cute.

***

Ann slept for most of the day. She found herself waking up in weird half-conscious states and being given water and small nibbles of food by Leslie. And because Leslie was always there, she seemed to infiltrate her dreams as well. Ann had a dream that she told Leslie that she wanted a baby- something that had only just occurred to her, but she had to share. She imagined hazily what that would be like. The two of them, and their little baby. She loved it. When she woke up, she would have to ask Leslie again.  
Her brain hurt. Or maybe it was just her whole body, but her brain exclusively hurt also.  
_“Ann? My radiant, noble butterfly. You’re groaning really loudly, are you okay?”  
_Ann blinked her eyes open, and of course Leslie was right there.  
“Sorry,” she croaked. “I didn’t even realise.”  
Leslie checked her temperature with gentle hands. “Your fever’s gone down.” Ann sat up, opting to lean against Leslie, who sighed softly. “Poor Ann.”  
“Couldn’t agree more,” Ann muttered. “I had a really weird dream that I told you I wanted to… to have a baby,” Ann added, chuckling slightly. She reached over to take a drink of water just as Leslie stiffened beside her.  
“Err- Ann? That… totally happened. We had a whole conversation about it.”

Now it was Ann’s turn to spit out water, which then turned into a full-on coughing fit. Leslie sighed again, rubbing her back gently. When Ann was finished, Leslie prompted her to drink a little more to soothe her throat.  
Ann felt mortified. _“Seriously?”_  
Leslie nodded. “Yeah, babe.”  
“Oh god.”  
“But if it makes you feel any better, I’m up for it.”  
The two women grinned at each other shyly.  
“Yeah, at _some point_ ,” Ann said hurriedly, before smiling. “I don’t expect a baby right away.”  
“The way you were talking, I think you thought that we were going to create one ourselves.”  
Ann snorted. “That would be the best baby ever.”  
“It really would,” Leslie said, kissing her forehead again.  
Ann lay back down on Leslie, who rubbed her arm up and down in a comforting manner.  
“I’m sorry I’m sick on our weekend,” Ann said sadly.  
“Ann! Don’t worry. I just want you to feel better.”  
Ann felt herself falling asleep again. “I already do,” she murmured, before stirring slightly. “Do you feel ready for that meeting?”  
“Don’t worry about me,” Leslie said quietly. “Just get some rest.”  
Ann fell asleep with Leslie beside her, keeping her safe.

***

Ann was asleep, but it was gone midnight. Leslie put down her final binder and yawned, ignoring the ache of her bones. She turned to look at Ann, who was still fast asleep.  
Making a decision, she stood slowly and scooped Ann up, since carrying her to bed and letting her continue sleeping was much kinder than waking her up and asking her to walk. She was actually pretty light- being a slim build and eating barely anything all day made it a lot easier for Leslie, who was quite a bit shorter.  
When she got into the bedroom, she put Ann in the bed and tucked her in, smiling slightly and kissing her forehead a final time.  
She felt a rush of sadness. It sucked that Ann was sick. She hated seeing her in pain, or anything other than her usual, amazing self. Leslie wished she could protect her and keep her safe from everything, except most of the time it seemed like Ann did that for her.

When she woke up the next morning, she felt… not great. Leslie rolled over and felt Ann’s forehead- the fever had gone down, and she seemed to be resting peacefully. Happy with that, Leslie walked into the bathroom to get ready for the meeting and looked at herself in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. She felt worn down. Not only that, but her throat was starting to feel a little scratchy. Leslie finished brushing her teeth and spat into the sink, just as a burst of pain erupted from her head. She looked up at the mirror and her pale face looked back at her.  
Was she getting sick? No, she couldn’t be. Besides, she had a meeting today and it was vital for her to succeed or she would probably be laughed off the council.  
Leslie coughed.

_Shit._  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you think leslie knope wouldn't carry ann perkins you're crazy


	33. Power Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie has that meeting. Things sort of fall apart afterwards, but Ron is a good boss.

Ann woke up just as Leslie was leaving for work. All Leslie had to do was play it cool for her extremely perceptive soon-to-be-wife and not let on that she was starting to feel ill.  
No, she was fine. She was probably just tired.  
“Hey babe,” Leslie said to Ann as she put her shoes on by the bed. “How are you feeling?”  
“Better,” Ann said. “Not perfect though, I’ll take the day off today…” she squinted. “Did you carry me to bed last night?” Leslie made a show of flexing her muscles and Ann laughed. “Wow, I’m impressed. How are you doing?”  
Leslie bristled. “Me? I’m fine! Totally fine!”  
Ann looked at her strangely. “Good, I mean… you’re going to do well in the meeting no matter what.”  
Leslie sighed inwardly in relief. She was talking about the _meeting_.   
“Thank you,” Leslie said with a small smile. “Now make sure you get lots of fluids and rest and eat what you can and don’t overexert yourself.”  
Ann laughed. “Are you the nurse or am I?”  
“When you’re unwell Ann all your responsibilities pass onto me,” Leslie said matter-of-factly. “Ooh! Do you think I should do a shift at the hospital?”  
“No,” Ann said immediately. “You’re good at looking after me specifically. Stick with that.”  
Leslie smiled. “Alright, fine. Love you!”  
“Love you too,” Ann said as she flopped back down under the covers.  
Leslie shut the door softly. She felt alright now- today was going to be fine.

***

Okay, maybe not.  
As soon as she got in the car to drive to work, the pain in her head was back. Leslie wondered if the universe was punishing her for being a good person, since that seemed to be the trend during the entirety of her campaign.   
If she was sick, she could still power through. She just wouldn’t come near anybody so she wouldn’t spread a sickness through City Hall. Last time that happened, she still powered through with work, but she didn’t want to risk infecting her new council team. Would that be enough for her to get fired? It wasn’t clear.   
Okay, no, she wasn’t sick. She was fine!  
Through a blur of stress, she ended up in the meeting.  
“What do you think, Councilor Knope?”  
Leslie finished off the last of the water jug with a loud gulp. “I totally agree.”  
The councilors looked at each other, confused.   
“You think we should… _ban public rest rooms?_ ”  
Leslie snapped to attention. In front of her, at the podium, was Sewage Joe. He was giving her a positively disgusting look. Leslie turned to look at Howser.   
“No. No I do not. I meant I agree with you. To... not do that.”   
Howser nodded slowly. “So, we’re in agreement.”

The meeting dragged on. Leslie was finding it harder and harder to focus, but she forced herself to pull it together. She got herself into the mentality of how she was after she took all that flu medication- this was important to her career and she _needed to focus._  
So she got through the rest of the meeting on sheer willpower alone. At the end, Howser attempted to shake her hand, and at first, she tried to avoid it, but in the end shook his hand with her sleeves shoved way down over her hands, wincing in embarrassment the whole time.   
“You did well today,” Howser said slowly, looking at the extended sleeve. “Uh- good job.”  
“Thank you, councilman,” Leslie said with a smile.   
Jamm came up to her and started to say something, but Leslie’s head was pounding now, so she gave a quick goodbye and hurried out of the meeting. The rising pain in the back of her head was becoming almost unbearable, so Leslie hid around a corner and took a paracetamol.

Power through.

***

“Hey guys!” Leslie called, hating how fake it sounded. She looked around, but it seemed like nobody was in the room. She was about to turn and leave when Ron popped his head around from his office.  
“Ron!” Leslie called, walking over to him. “Where is everyone?”  
Ron shrugged. “When you’re not here, they tend to just go and do things by themselves.” He chuckled. “It’s the perfect way to ruin the government.”  
Leslie just groaned in response, moving past Ron to sit at one of the chairs. Ron stood there awkwardly for a second, deciding whether or not he should stay.  
“You had the meeting?”   
“Yeah.”  
“Did it… go well?” Ron asked, edging back into his office. He was eager to return to his scrabble game.  
“Yeah,” Leslie said, pulling a binder out of her bag. Ron squinted at her.  
“What’s wrong with you?”  
“Nothing, I’m fine.” Leslie turned away from him to cough loudly. “Okay, maybe I’m not _fine_ fine, but I’m fine. I did the meeting.”  
“You should go home then,” Ron said sternly. “If you cough too much in this office, you risk infecting me. And I like being in full health.”  
“If I go home, Ann will find out I’m not well and tell me off,” Leslie explained with a grimace. “She was sick yesterday and I think I caught it from her. And I just… I don’t want to worry her.” Ron looked at her. “I’ve been enough trouble the past few months as it is,” she added in a whisper.

“You’re being ridiculous,” Ron said straight away. “You need to go home.”  
“ _Ron!_ ” Leslie whined. “Can’t I just work here for a while?”  
“No.” Ron moved around and hoisted her to her feet.   
“Hey!” she shouted, ignoring the headrush.  
“If you get me sick, I’m not going to be impressed.”  
“Why? What are you doing?”  
“Taking you home,” Ron explained, picking up Leslie’s bag. “Let’s go.”  
“Are you just doing this to get out of work?” Leslie asked him. Ron’s face crinkled.  
“That is only partially correct. But, since you mention it, maybe I can stop at Food and Stuff on the way back.” Leslie stopped walking a second to rub her face. “You okay?” Ron added.  
“Meh.” Leslie nudged him weakly as they walked out of the office. “Don’t be getting all soft on me, boss.”  
“Hmph.”

***

Ann had spent most of the morning lazing around. She was keeping hydrated, as Leslie requested, and she was just starting to see the back of the bastard illness. She kept cringing to herself, now she was more lucid, at the bizarre conversation she had had the day before with Leslie.   
She hadn’t properly thought about children to that extent until she was filled with fever, but she was also partially glad it happened. It was good to know that Leslie did see children in their future, even if it was well after the wedding.   
The wedding itself was only just starting to take up their time, but Ann could tell that it was going to be a large topic of discussion in the household regardless. God, she can just imagine the binders.

Ann was broken out of her thoughts when there was a loud rapping on the door. Ann stood, finally glad that she could do so without an intense headrush, and walked over to the door, confused.   
When she opened it, she was greeted with Ron and Leslie. Ron had one arm under Leslie’s arm and was keeping her upright.  
“Leslie!” Ann said loudly, concerned. “What happened?”  
“Ron brought me home,” Leslie said with a pout. Ann looked at Ron, confused.  
“She came into work when she was sick. She did the meeting but now she needs to rest.”  
Ann nodded quickly, opening the door wider so the two of them could enter the room. As soon as they were in there, Ron let go of Leslie’s arm and walked away, Ann vaguely heard him going to the kitchen, before she turned and put her hands on her hips, looking at her fiancé.

“Beautiful Ann. How are you?” Leslie asked sheepishly.  
“Much better, thanks,” Ann said sternly. “Why did you go into work?”  
“ _Because_ ,” Leslie moaned. She brought her hand up and rubbed her face tiredly. Ann dropped the irritation to move over and feel her forehead. Boiling.  
“Leslie, baby, you’re sick.”  
“So?”  
Ann gave her a look. “ _So…_ you need to go to _bed_.” Leslie was as white as a sheet yet, _somehow_ , she still managed to give Ann a look that said that she wasn’t going to move.  
“Do I need to carry you?” Ann asked in a mock threatening tone.  
“ _No_.”   
“I’ll carry you, if necessary,” Ron cut in. Ann turned to look at him- he was eating a piece of ham from the packet they had in the fridge. Ann turned back to Leslie, who had folded her arms as she leaned forwards.  
“No!” Leslie paused to cough, and then she swayed dangerously. Ann found herself moving over to fret over her. “No, Ann. You’re still sick and I’m fine.”  
 _“Really.”_   
“I’m being fierce and I’m _standing my ground_.”  
“Right. So, if you’re standing your ground, why are you leaning onto me?”  
“Because you’re comfy. And..." Leslie's face crumpled. "I’m _so tired_.”  
“Oh, Les-”   
“And I’m sorry I didn’t say anything but I couldn’t ruin the meeting in case they all hated me and I only just started there and I don’t need you to look after me because you’re the one who’s sick and you’ve already done so much for me already.”  
All of that came out in a quick rush, and Ann wasn’t surprised when Leslie sagged into her totally as soon as the tirade ended. In fact, she had been expecting it. Ann caught her, holding her upright.  
“Oh, sweetie. Let’s get you to bed.”

“I’ll do it,” Ron said, appearing from nowhere. “You’re still not 100% either, Perkins.”  
Ron gently led Leslie away, and Ann felt guilty that she was secretly a little grateful. She was feeling better, but standing up for that long had made her go a little off. When she recovered herself, she followed Ron into the bedroom. Leslie was now on the bed, and Ron turned to face her.  
“Do you need me to get anything for you?” he asked, surprisingly softly. Ann smiled.  
“I think we’re okay, but thank you.”  
“No problem.” He moved to pat her shoulder but hovered awkwardly before actually doing it. “I hope you feel better soon.” He turned to say bye to Leslie, but she was passed out on the bed. He turned back to Ann. “Tell her I said goodbye when she wakes up.”  
Ann grinned. “You got it.”   
She smiled at Ron as he left, before moving and sitting on the bed next to Leslie.

***

Leslie blinked through the fog. Her whole body was incredibly tired, but even still she forced herself to move and look at Ann, who was lying beside her, looking at her through half-lidded eyes.  
“Hey baby,” Ann said sleepily.   
“Hi,” Leslie replied. “How are you doing?”  
“I’m okay,” Ann replied. “How are you? You’ve been out a few hours.”  
Leslie took a second before she answered. She felt bad. She remembered Ron putting her on the bed and that was it. She was still in her work clothes, for goodness sake. God, she was a mess.  
“I’m… okay too. Was Ron here?” Leslie asked. Ann nodded.  
“He left. He told me to say goodbye.”  
“I hate how irritatingly caring he can be sometimes.”  
“It was sweet,” Ann countered. Leslie nodded.  
“Yeah. He can be when he wants to.”  
“Especially with you,” Ann pointed out.

Leslie moved to sit up and take off her jacket, but then she realised that it was already off- Ann must have done it- and she was actually just super warm.  
“You need a drink?” Ann asked her. Leslie swallowed thickly.  
“Ugh, yes please, honey.”  
When Ann returned, Leslie was sitting up in bed. She accepted the drink with a grateful smile, but then she frowned. Ann looked at her questioningly.  
“I much preferred it when it was me looking after you,” Leslie grumbled.  
“How come?” Ann asked.   
“I just… you’ve been super supportive of me, and I wanted to show I could return the favour. I feel like it’s always me being a mess and you being there.”  
“Leslie, honey,” Ann said, shuffling closer to her. “You’ve helped me so many times- more times than I can count. Don’t feel bad for needing support, because we all do. It’s like those vows we’re going to take. In sickness and in health.”  
“I guess,” Leslie said sadly.   
“And hey, at least the meeting went well!”  
“That’s true, except I did shake Councilman Howser’s hand with my sleeve. So that he wouldn’t get my germs.”  
Ann squinted in confusion. “Uh- good. That’s good. Very resourceful.”  
The two of them nestled down in bed. Hopefully, by tomorrow, Leslie would be on the mend and Ann would be totally better. And soon, Leslie would be feeling 100%, and she would be back to doing her absolute best with Ann at her side.


	34. The Best Zoo Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben inspires Leslie, and she decides that the Parks gang need a day out.

“How are you doing over there?”  
_“It’s going great! I think I’m doing a great job. I hope so, anyway.”_  
Leslie looked at the screen, where Ben was sat in his hotel room in Washington. He gave her a smile, but Leslie could tell it didn’t quite reach his eyes. If Ben was anything, she considered him a best friend. And she knew him _very_ well- something was wrong.  
“Ben,” she said slowly. “Something’s up. What is it?” Ben sighed. Over the laptop audio, it sounded sort of tinny- like a robot.  
_“Okay,”_ he said. _“Well, everything is done differently here. I’m doing my best, but I feel like they don’t see me as their... equal.”_  
“They will!” Leslie promised him. “As soon as they see how kick-ass you are. Which you _are_.”  
_“I guess.”  
_“How is it with Shauna?” Silence. Ben did something, and Leslie caught it. The twitch. She frowned. “Ben?”  
_“I don’t know, Les. Not... great.”_ He sighed, and Leslie frowned.  
"Aw, Ben..."  
“But _one positive is that Chris is coming to visit me. I’ve really missed him. And all you guys. I miss hanging out together.”  
_Leslie smiled at him sadly. "I’m sure Chris will cheer you up. And we’ve missed you too. I’m always here if you need to talk.”  
_“I know. Thank you. I’ll speak to you soon?”  
_“Sounds great.”

***

In work, Leslie was thinking about Ben. It sucked that he was far away in Washington, but he had perked up saying that Chris was going to visit him. She had already made him a card and sent it in the post, but now she had a feeling that she wanted to do something with all of the Department- a group activity. Seeing Ben miss the gang made her want to bring everybody together, since it didn’t happen that often. It sucked that Ben wouldn’t be there, but at least Chris was going to see him.  
She was also thinking a little about the Shauna situation. But she didn’t think a handmade card would fix that.

At lunch that day, she told the department that she wanted to have a fun day out.  
_“Why?”_ April whined. “Group days out are _terrible_.”  
“Not if we go somewhere fun!” Andy counteracted. “Like the moon!”  
“Ben misses his friends,” Leslie told them. “And it got me thinking that we need to do more together as a group. I also want you all to message Ben- or write him a letter. Or _something_. Because I know you’re all forgetting from time to time.”  
“It’s been a _week_ ,” Ron cut in. “What would I even say to him?”  
Leslie looked at him. “You can use your typewriter.”  
Ron’s face changed instantly. “You know what? That’s a good idea.” He instantly ran back into the office, and very quickly the sound of loud clacking emanated out. Leslie grinned widely, but the rest of the department fixed her with a look.

“I was thinking that we could go somewhere outside, because-”  
“Because you are obsessed with parks?” Tom cut in, and Donna high-fived him.  
“Yes, I _suppose_ ,” Leslie said. “But, also, because nature is the best and it would actually be really nice for us all to hang out together in the sunshine this weekend. What do you say?”  
A few irritated grumbles.  
“Will _Ann_ be there?” April asked in an angry voice. Leslie squinted at her.  
“She’s my fiancé.”  
“But are you _that_ attached to her?”  
“Again… she’s my fiancé.”  
But then Ron re-entered the room. “I like a good nature walk. All I had to do this weekend was build another secret cabin, but I’m sure I could squeeze that in somewhere else.”  
“I was meant to go to Gayle’s sister’s wedding…” Jerry moaned.  
“Nobody cares, Jerry!” Tom shouted. “We’ve all got to do the nature walk!”  
"I guess I'll go to the reception..."  
Leslie wasn’t sure if it was because they were all forcing Jerry to go, but slowly people warmed to the idea. Andy was talking to April about Burt Macklin's brother Rex Wilderness, who specialised in nature walks, Tom was discussing fashion choices that blended into the environment with Donna, and Ron was whistling as he whittled a flute.  
Leslie sighed happily. It felt good to make plans with her friends. She shot a quick text to Ben.

**You’ve inspired me to get the gang together on a walk tomorrow. Next time, you need to be here so you can tell me about different types of trees! (Sent 12:01)**

Ben replied almost instantly.

**Sounds like fun! Chris has just arrived. He asked me to ask you to send him a picture of the most confident tree when you go. (Sent 12:02)**

Leslie chuckled at the fact that Chris was already in Washington at nine in the morning. Those two were good friends. She wondered briefly if Chris had anybody in his life, but then she was back to work, smiling at the prospect of tomorrow.

***

The next day, the lot of them met up outside the entrance to the nature reserve at ten in the morning. Leslie and Ann got out of the car, their hands finding each other as they walked over to stand by Ron, who was surprisingly on time.  
“Morning Ron!” Leslie chirped happily.  
“Knope. Perkins.” Ron said both of their names, giving them each a nod to go with it.  
“Did you bring a… dagger?” Ann asked, using the hand that was holding Leslie’s to point at the weapon that Ron had on his belt. Ron nodded firmly.  
“For survival.”  
“Survival… we’re only going to be here a few hours,” Leslie said slowly, glancing at Ann. Ron laughed.  
“Any time in the wilderness is treacherous. I for one will be hunting.”  
Just as Leslie saw the others arriving, Ron sprinted into the woods. Ann saw that April looked after him, a slightly disgusted look on her face, and then Ann turned to Leslie.  
“Should we stop him?”  
“Nah,” she said, her cheeriness back. “He’s having a good time.”

They walked through the reserve, Ann silently taking in the beauty. There were impossibly tall trees, verdant grass… but the most impressive thing was how eagerly her fiancé was leading them through the reserve. None of the others seemed to mind Leslie's eagerness- she had expected some teasing, especially from April, but it seemed like all of them were enjoying it.  
“I need to find the most confident tree,” Leslie told her excitedly. “For Chris.”  
“Oh yeah, he’s with Ben right now isn’t he?”  
“Yep! I hope he can cheer him up.”  
“If anyone can bolster somebody, it’s Chris,” Ann said with a chuckle.  
“GUYS!” Andy yelled, pointing into the trees. “A SQUIRREL!” He turned to April. “Man, this is the best zoo ever.”  
All of them exchanged glances, but then April was quickly speaking.  
“Hell yeah. It’s the _best zoo ever_.”  
“Yeah!” Leslie added, a grin on her face. She really appreciated Andy’s enthusiasm.

***

Andy’s enthusiasm persisted when Jerry fell into a swamp. “HAHA! JERRY! Everyone come look!”  
Tom and Donna refused to wade in and help him- something about ruining their Gucci hiking boots or _whatever_ , so Leslie was rolling up her trouser pants and wading in after him.  
Ann stood at the side, slightly amused, holding a big stick in case she needed help.  
“Come on, Jerry,” Leslie said with gritted teeth. Jerry got her hand, and she was able to pull him up.  
“Ah, jeez,” Jerry said. “How can I make the reception if I look like _this_?”  
Leslie made it to the shore, where Ann grabbed her hand and pulled her out. She gave her a smile, before turning back to Jerry.  
“Jerry, I anticipated something like this would happen. I have a spare change of clothes for you in the boot of my car.”  
Jerry’s face lit up. “You do?!”  
“Yep.” Jerry moved to give her a hug, but Leslie stepped back, indicating how muddy he was. He smiled sheepishly. “Ah, yeah. Thanks, Leslie.”  
Leslie smiled at him, but then Tom was there.  
“HAHA! JERRY! You look like a swamp creature!”  
As the rest of them bullied Jerry, Ann leaned over to whisper in Leslie’s ear. “You’re such a nice person.”  
Leslie turned around to give her a look. “I am? Thanks!”  
Ann kissed her neck, making Leslie tingle. But then Andy was shouting about a bug, and the two of them carried on walking to meet them.

***

Leslie could hear Tom and April complaining that there was barely any signal after about an hour.  
“I’m happy about it,” Andy said to them. “It’s like being _at one with nature_.”  
“That’s what it says on the back of my shampoo bottle,” Donna added.  
“Ooh look!” Leslie shouted, making Ann jump. “That tree is confident as hell!”  
“Oh my gosh it’s HUGE!” Andy yelled, grabbing April’s hand. “Babe, do you reckon I could climb it?”  
“There are like, no branches until the top part,” April deadpanned. “You’d probably slide all the way down.”  
“Let’s see what’ll happen!”  
“No,” Ann cut in, grabbing Andy’s wrist as he tried to run over. “No, no. I feel like I need to be safety officer here.”  
April hissed at her, making her drop Andy’s arm with a confused look.  
“Can we just get a picture of it for Ben and Chris, please?” Leslie asked.  
“I already sent one,” April said slowly. Leslie looked at her, confused.  
“Huh?”  
“Tom and I have been keeping Ben updated with funny pictures,” April continued. “Like when Jerry fell in the swamp.” Jerry sighed loudly.  
“You have?” Leslie asked, touched.  
“Sure!” Tom said. “You said he missed us, so we’re keeping him in the loop.”  
“You guys!” Leslie said with a soft smile. “That’s so cute!”  
Leslie tried to bring them in for a hug, but they both backed away. Leslie turned around. “I need someone to hug _right now_.”  
Ann was there immediately. “Hug me then.”  
“Yay!”  
Leslie wrapped her arms around Ann and squeezed her tightly, making her smile widely. Ann _swore_ she saw April giving the two of them a soft smile, but then it was gone and April was telling them how gross they were.

***

The walk ended when they saw an ice cream truck at the end of one of the paths, next to the exit. Leslie bought everybody an ice cream, as a thank you for hanging out with her and having a nice day. As they were sat on the wall eating them, Ron reappeared, running out of the woods with a spear. There was a large fish at the end of it.  
“Ron?” Leslie asked. “How have you managed to… make a spear?”  
“I told you,” Ron replied, panting. Was that _war paint_ on his face? “We’re in the wilderness.”  
“How in the wilderness is it when we passed an ice cream truck? And a gift shop?”  
“THERE’S A GIFT SHOP?” Andy yelled. Leslie sighed.  
“You can get _one toy_. You too, April.”  
Ron moved to sit next to Leslie. “Did you have as good a day as you wanted?”  
Leslie nodded. “Sure did. What about you?”  
Before Ron could reply, Jerry was in front of her, still coated in mud.  
“Uh, Leslie? Can I have your car keys to get the change of clothes please?”  
“Sure thing,” Leslie said, handing him the keys. He walked away, and Ron chuckled.  
“Seems like I missed a lot.”

Leslie sighed happily, before looking over at Ann, who had that soft look on her face.  
“What is it?” Leslie asked her, blushing a little.  
“Nothing. I just love you.”  
“Aww. I love you too.”  
Ann took a lick of the ice cream before she moved over to give Leslie a kiss.  
“You taste like mint choc-chip,” Leslie commented happily. Ann laughed.  
“Good.”  
And then her head was on Leslie's shoulder. Leslie took in a breath of fresh air. Today had been good.


	35. Steamroller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie realises she's a steamroller. She speaks to the people around her about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend is sad. I finished this chapter and uploaded it a little early, I hope it cheers you up!!! <3

Leslie couldn’t stop thinking about something Councilman Jamm said. It had been near the end of the meeting, when Leslie tried to steer it _away_ from him talking about his obsession with ethnic food and back onto the matter at hand. Jamm had stood up and said to her:  
_Knope, you’re a total steamroller. Can't you just stop? Simmer down for once!  
_And, usually, comments like that didn’t affect her whatsoever. She saw yelling as “caring loudly,” especially if it came from somebody like Ron. For someone like Jamm… well, she could usually just brush off his comments. But something about it stuck with her.  
It was that word- _steamroller_. She had heard it a few times in her life, usually when she was young or in her early teens. The occasional time in college. And a good ten or so times in her government career. Maybe a few times as a subject header in an email. Leslie wondered if they were the only times that she _heard_ it being said, and if maybe people said it about her behind her back.

She was thinking about this as she left the meeting, her face set into a frown. She passed a few people she knew in the hallways, giving them grim nods. Andy, who happened to be one of those people, slowed to a stop and looked at her.  
“Hey, Leslie! Are... you okay?”  
Leslie snapped out of it. “Uh..." she quickly pondered how much she should reveal. "I just had a bad council meeting.”  
“Aw, no! Did they cancel the parks?”  
Leslie looked at him a little weirdly. “No, they didn’t.”  
Andy sighed in relief. “That’s good! That would have ruined your whole life, huh.”  
“That happened, remember?” Leslie said to him. “The government closed for… like three months? And all the parks with it?”  
Andy looked at her, confused. “It did? Man, I don’t remember stuff.”  
“We had the Freddy Spaghetti concert? You crashed your bike? You know what, that might be why you don’t remember. Anyway, I need to run Andy, bye!”  
“Okay! Bye!”  
Leslie carried on. Sorry Andy, but there was only one person she wanted to speak to right now.

***

Ann knew something was amiss when Leslie entered the room _not_ halfway through a conversation. Usually, when they met up at Ann’s office for lunch, she was bursting in announcing some new idea, or something hilarious that Jerry did, or literally _anything_ that involved talking.  
But she just came in and sat in the opposite chair. It was a good five seconds before she started talking, and that was because Ann managed to get a word in first.  
“Are you okay?” Ann had said simply.  
Leslie sighed. “Ann, you perceptive tree shark. I don’t know. I had a... _weird_ moment before.”  
“Okay…” Ann said slowly, a little concerned.  
“Jamm told me I’m a steamroller. And… well, I don’t know why, but it got to me a bit.”  
“It did?” Ann asked, leaning forwards slightly. “How come?”  
“Because! That’s not the first time somebody has said that to me! Are they right?”  
Leslie should have known what Ann was going to say when she paused for a good ten seconds, swallowing multiple times.  
“Um… sometimes, yes.”  
Leslie looked at her, eyes wide. “Are you serious?”  
“Well-”  
“I know what you’re going to say, and don’t bother.”  
“Actu-”  
“You love me and want to be with me forever but everyone has flaws-”  
“Les-”  
“Well I think you’re _wrong_ , Ann!”  
“Leslie!” Ann yelled, forcing Leslie to stop. “This is exactly the thing! I'm sorry, and I do love you, but you are a _total steamroller_.”  
“No I’m not!”  
“Remember the time you made me eat all that cheesecake so you wouldn’t look bad? Or the fact that you order my drinks for me? You steamroll. A lot.”  
Leslie didn’t speak for a while. She licked her lips slowly, staring down at the floor. Ann leaned over and put her hand on her arm.  
“I know you don’t _mean_ to do it. And you’re a wonderful and caring person. But _god_ , you’re intense sometimes.”  
“Hmm.”  
Ann’s voice turned gentle. “I’m sorry you feel insecure about it, but if we’re going to talk about that side of you- if you _really_ want to talk about it, I wanted to be honest.”  
Leslie stood up suddenly, scraping her chair across the floor. “Thank you for being honest, Ann. And I'm sorry, but I just remembered I have to file a report.”  
Ann stood with her. “Leslie-”  
“No, I… this is important. I’ll see you later.”  
Ann sighed sadly, watching her leave. Damn it.

***

Leslie walked aimlessly, wiping her eyes furiously, until she spotted Andy and April in the courtyard through the window. She exited the building and walked over to them. Andy’s face fell at the sight of her.  
“Leslie! Are you okay?”  
“Not really.”  
“Pull up a chair then, friend!” He looked around. “Okay, these benches are glued to the floor.”  
“Just come sit with us,” April ordered.  
Leslie sat down with a sigh.  
“What’s up?” Andy asked.  
“Remember how I was sad before, and I said it was because of a meeting?”  
“Oh, because they cancelled all the parks?”  
“No, I specifically said that _didn’t_ happen, Andy.”  
April scowled. “It _might_ have happened.”  
“Well, I was bummed out because Jamm said I steamroll people. And then Ann sort of… confirmed it.” April scowled further, and Leslie felt the need to back up. “She was right to! I kind of feel bad, I totally bailed on the conversation, it’s just… I don’t know. It sort of sucks that everybody knows this is a truth about me that can’t change.”  
“Man,” Andy said slowly. “That _does_ suck.”

Leslie sighed again. “How do you guys work through your issues that you have?”  
“Like relationship issues?” Andy asked. “Trick question. We don’t _have_ any!”  
“Yes we do,” April instantly said, and Andy looked at her.  
“Bummer! I’m sorry, babe!”  
“Andy, it would be weird if we had no issues. But I think Leslie means more like… personality-wise. Am I right?” Leslie gave small shrug. April tilted her head. “I don’t know. You’re sort of lame. But so is Ann, so you’re a good couple."  
Leslie gave her a look. "April."  
"And in terms of the steamrolling thing… I don’t know. It’s sort of cool.”  
Leslie looked at her. “It is?”  
“Yeah. I mean, it’s totally annoying sometimes. But it’s also cool.”  
Leslie sagged. “Oh.”  
“No!” Andy cut in. “It’s really cool that you always tell me when I’m doing a bad job. It’s like… how would _I_ know that? You’re really smart, Leslie.”  
Leslie stood, giving them both a smile. “Thanks, guys.”  
April did some strange gesture with her hands just as Andy gave her a cheery wave. Seems about right.

***

Leslie was walking back in when she spotted Ron at his desk, throwing a ball up and down. She hesitated for a second, before knocking on his office door. Ron stopped throwing the door only for a second, gesturing for her to leave. Leslie sighed, and turned to go, and that was when Ron stopped.  
_“What?”_  
Leslie turned around. “What?”  
“What just happened?”  
“What do you mean?” Leslie asked.  
“I told you to leave and… _you left_.”  
Leslie walked back into the office and sat in the seat opposite Ron. “I’m trying not to steamroll." Ron frowned, so she continued. " _Apparently_ it’s a prominent character trait I have. According to one person I hate and three people who I consider to be very close friends and/or a lover. And probably a lot of other people. So _that_ sucks.”  
Ron gave her a look. “Why do you care?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“You are who you are, Leslie.”  
“That’s not the point! If it’s a bad trait, I should change it! Ann gave me a few good examples of times it’s been a real pain in the butt.”  
“So change it,” Ron said simply, and Leslie groaned. She moved to stand up, but then Ron kept talking. “All you can really do is try to better yourself. You’re aware of it now- it isn’t going to go away overnight, but you can be more courteous to other people’s feelings. Which I _know_ you will, because you’re a sickeningly good person.”  
Leslie smiled at him softly. “Thanks, Ron.”  
Ron nodded. “Hmph. Just try not to overthink it.”  
Leslie laughed. “If you think I can _not_ overthink, you don’t know me at all.”  
Ron chuckled. “You got me there, Knope.”

***

Leslie was pleased when Ann entered her office at the end of the day. Before Ann could speak, Leslie was giving her a big hug.  
“I’m sorry I abandoned you at lunch,” Leslie said, running a hand through Ann's hair. “That wasn’t fair. You were trying to talk through something with me, and I got emotional. I’m sorry.”  
“That’s okay,” Ann replied, putting a hand on Leslie's face and cupping it gently. “I could have handled that better.”  
“You were right, though,” Leslie said slowly. “I _do_ steamroll a lot. And I’m going to do everything I can to improve myself.”  
Leslie sighed and sat on the edge of her desk. Ann didn’t hesitate- she sat beside her.  
“Leslie,” Ann said slowly. “Believe it or not, _everyone_ has flaws.”  
“Not you,” Leslie responded instantly. “You have _no flaws._ In fact, you have _all the strengths._ ”  
Ann smiled. “Even I have flaws. I really do, Leslie.” Leslie muttered something under her breath that sounded like “shut up beautiful Ann,” but Ann opted to press on. “You steamroll- yes. But you are so much more than that! How often has your persistence totally saved the day, not to mention everybody’s jobs? This whole department would be gone if it weren’t for you. You’re intelligent, you’re dedicated. You are so much more than one trait, okay?”  
Leslie sighed, but this time it felt like an accepting sigh. “Okay. I still want to try and tone it down, though.”  
"Just don't tone down the other great parts of you," Ann instructed. "Okay?"  
Leslie nodded, a small smile on her face. "Okay."  
“Good” Ann said, squeezing her hand. “I don’t like seeing you sad.”  
“I don’t like seeing me sad either,” Leslie told her. “It distracts from the time I could spend thinking about parks. Or you.”  
“Wow,” Ann said with a chuckle. “I’m second on the list? That’s a high honour.”  
“During _work hours_ you’re second,” Leslie told her, leaning in to kiss her. She stopped just as she was about to. “But outside of work, _you’re always first_.”


	36. Midnight Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann can't sleep, so instead, she remembers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are gonna get slightly stressful again in like two chapters' time, so I figured I would put a few chill ones in there in the meantime.

Ann couldn’t sleep. It was just past midnight, and Leslie was asleep next to her. They had said their goodnights as usual at around half eleven, and as they held each other, Ann felt Leslie fall asleep not long after.  
But Ann couldn’t sleep.  
She wasn’t sure why. She didn’t have anything in particular to worry about, and she hadn’t had a particularly strenuous day. It was a Saturday tomorrow, and both the women’s first days off since the “zoo trip” last week, so it wasn’t like she needed to sleep for work the next day. But it would be nice to do so, since she had been working all week.  
Leslie sighed softly in her sleep next to her, and Ann turned to look at her. She half expected her to come out with some sort of speech- she had done that a lot in the campaign days, but she stayed strangely quiet.  
Ann found her mind wandering to thoughts of her girlfriend- specifically in the days before they had become a couple. Ann hadn’t fallen for her straight away- a lot of people expected that to be the case, but it wasn’t true. In fact, Ann had simply thought she was sweet, maybe a little doofy. But swiftly, that opinion had changed. As soon as Ann got more insight into Leslie’s character, specifically her incredible love for those around her, Ann found herself starting to fall for her. The fact that Leslie became a large part of her life practically overnight certainly didn’t help with her growing attraction to the woman- Leslie had _very quickly_ become her constant companion, and Ann had found that, more and more, she wanted to kiss her. In fact, she remembered a time _quite_ specifically.

***

_“Hi Ann!” Leslie bustled through her front door, armed with three bags. “Are you ready for the movie night extravaganza? It’s going to knock your socks off.”  
Ann smiled at her from the sofa, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Leslie could tell straight away.  
“What’s wrong?” she asked, dumping the bags unceremoniously on the floor. A box of popcorn flew out, but Leslie ignored it to move and sit by Ann.  
“I don’t know,” Ann replied slowly. “I just… I just ended a long relationship. And I know it was for the best, and Andy is definitely not the one, but…”  
“But it sucks,” Leslie finished for her. “Aw, Ann.”  
Leslie pulled her in for a hug, squeezing her tightly. But then her arms were gently rubbing her back in such a soothing gesture that Ann felt like she wanted to cry.  
_ _After a few seconds, Leslie pulled away, and Ann missed the contact immediately.  
_ _“Do you want to watch soppy movies all night? I know you love those!”  
Ann snorted. “Oh, is that how it is?”  
Leslie grinned. “You bet. I rented four different ones, I know you like them.”  
Ann looked at the selection. Leslie had indeed selected four of her favourite films. Ann selected one, and Leslie put it in the DVD player and they started watching. But, as the film went on, Ann found herself watching Leslie more than the movie. Her reactions to everything- the way she was glued to the screen, yelling at it when the love interest to the protagonist did something wrong, or the way her lips parted slightly in concentration.  
_ _She must have been staring for a while, because then Leslie looked at her. “You okay?”  
Ann swallowed a grimace and smiled. And it was worth it for the way she smiled back. “I sure am.”  
Leslie reach over to squeeze her hand and Ann felt a rush of something._

_And it scared her._

***

That’s the thing. It had really, _really_ scared her at the start. She had no idea what it meant- and the whole thought process of what it meant for her sexuality was still yet to come. And she still hadn’t even answered that question to herself. Not that she ever needed a proper answer, not if she didn’t have one. It had been a confusing time for her.  
And then there had been times- quite a few, in fact, when Ann thought that maybe, just maybe, Leslie liked her back.

***

_Leslie was doing work at Ann’s house. For the fourth time that week. Ann was starting to wonder if Leslie ever wanted to go home, and that made her sad.  
“Hey, Les?”  
“Yeah?” Leslie asked her, glancing up from her binder. “What’s up?”  
“Do you… not like your house?”  
Leslie frowned. “Oh, god. Do you want me to go? I’m sorry, I-”  
“No, no,” Ann said quickly, before Leslie could pack up her work. “That’s not what I meant, I love having you here. It just makes me a bit sad.”  
“I don’t sit here because I don’t like being at home,” Leslie said slowly. “Although, you’ve seen my house…”  
Both women chuckled. “You’re right,” Ann said. “You have a horder house- it’s terrifying.”  
Leslie smiled at her. “Ann! I love being here because I love spending time with you. It’s infinitely better than time I’m spending without you.”  
Ann smiled at her, but inside, her brain was whirring. Was that just Leslie being friendly? Or was she flirting?   
It was hard to tell when the woman in question was- at heart- incredibly loving._

***

Ann sighed softly. It had been incredibly confusing. She half thought that if they hadn’t kissed when they were drunk- Ann’s doing- they would never have gotten together. And that was a scary thought. Too scary to even comprehend, really. Now that they were together, Ann couldn’t imagine herself being with anybody else.  
And even after they had gotten together, it had been a secret love. Ann was fairly sure there was a Doris Day song called _Secret Love_ , and if she listened to it now, having felt what she had, maybe she would cry.  
Ann decided she needed a mug of tea. She got out of bed as slowly as possible, freezing up as Leslie sighed happily in her sleep. Ann looked down at her, smiling, and wondering what it was that she was dreaming about. It was probably a giant waffle with Joe Biden’s face on it, or something similar.

If Ann had the power to read minds, she would be incredibly pleased to know that Leslie’s dreams were filled with her. In fact, right at that minute, Leslie was having what she would consider _the best dream ever.  
_And it was as simple as the two of them sitting on a hillside- in a park- together. It wasn’t anything outrageous, but even as she slept, Leslie was smiling.  
She was roused, however, shortly after Ann left the bed- maybe she subliminally knew Ann wasn’t there anymore, but when she opened her eyes, she heard distant sounds of Ann making tea in the kitchen. She slipped out of the bed, missing the warmth, but eager to see if Ann was alright.

***

“You okay?” Leslie’s voice was soft, but Ann jumped anyway. “Sorry!”  
“It’s fine,” Ann said quickly. “And I’m fine, I just couldn’t sleep.”  
Leslie frowned softly, walking around the counter to wrap Ann in a hug. “Aw.”  
“Sorry I woke you,” Ann whispered, although it was nice to not be alone anymore.  
“It’s fine. In my dream we were just hanging out, so at least here I can do it for real.”  
“You were dreaming about me?” Ann asked softly, thinking back to how Leslie was smiling in her sleep and wanting to cry on the spot.  
“Yeah!” Leslie said with a smile. “You’re in my dreams a lot.”  
"I... I am?"  
"Why wouldnt' you be?" Leslie countered. She sleepily wrapped her arms around Ann as she finished making the tea.  
“Do you want one?” Ann asked her. She shook her head.  
“I’ll pass. All I want are cuddles.”  
Ann chuckled. “You can have as many as you want.”

***

Ann finished her tea in bed with Leslie sleepily leaning against her.  
“Are you sure you’re okay?”  
“I am,” Ann promised. “I just struggle to sleep sometimes.”  
“Next time you can always wake me up.”  
Ann grinned in the dark. “As lovely as that is, a sleep-deprived Leslie Knope is a little terrifying.”  
Leslie kissed her cheek. “Fair enough. I just want to be there for you.”   
"You're always there for me," Ann promised. "Ever since we first became friends. Even before we were technically friends."  
"What can I say, Ann, you were incredibly interesting. A woman with a plan to help the public- you were the whole package."  
Ann chuckled. "I should have put a ring on that _straight away_."  
Leslie smirked. "I would have probably said yes."  
As soon as Ann put the empty mug on the bedside table with a yawn and snuggled back down, Leslie was drifting off again.  
“Do you think you can sleep now?” she murmured.  
Ann could already feel herself getting more tired. “Definitely. Thanks for checking up on me.”  
“Good, and no problem,” Leslie said with a smile, nestling down. Ann wrapped an arm around her, her head resting on top of Leslie’s. She could feel it now- she was about to fall asleep.

Hopefully she would have a dream where it was just she and Leslie having a nice time. But even if that didn’t happen, when she woke up the next morning, it was true. And despite all the pain of before they were a couple, now that they were, Ann didn’t have to wonder what that would be like ever again. It wasn’t a dream anymore- it was real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Secret Love is actually so good, it came on while I was writing this so I had to give it a mention. Another song I listen to a lot while writing these chapters is "Kamikaze" by MØ. Idk why anyone would be interested


	37. Dance in the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dancing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- talk of parental death

Ann knew something was off. Maybe it was something in the water, but it seemed like Leslie had been more subdued the past few days. At work, she was as busy as ever, but when it was just the two of them, and her guard was down, she seemed sad.   
And with Leslie, sometimes you had to jump through hoops to get to the root of the problem. Either she told you straight away how she felt, or she kept it hidden until she absolutely _had_ to reveal it.   
Ann pondered this as she set the table, with Leslie doing something in the living room.  
“It’s raining,” Leslie commented. She was stood at the window, looking out at the front yard, where sheets of rain were slamming onto the floor at full force. Now Ann clocked it, it had been raining for quite a few hours. The sound of the rain hitting the roof had always been a quiet comfort to her, ever since she was little.  
“Yeah,” Ann replied. She took a deep breath. “Hey, are you okay?”  
Leslie turned around to face her. “Sure. Why?”  
“You seem... sad.”  
Leslie shrugged one shoulder, and Ann walked around the table to meet her.  
“What is it?” she prodded. "You can tell me."  
“I’ve been thinking about my Dad for the past few days.”   
Ann cursed herself. Leslie had never talked about an anniversary of sorts, and even if it wasn’t the anniversary of his death, she didn’t talk about him much as it is. Ann hadn’t really asked about him for that reason. Maybe she should have? Or would that just make things worse? How often is the right amount to talk about a dead relative?  
“Are you okay?” Ann asked simply.   
Leslie nodded. “He’s just been on my mind recently. I wonder if he’d have been proud of me. With everything.”

“Of course he would,” Ann said immediately. Leslie smiled at her.  
“I think so too. I do miss him, but I don’t feel empty. I have so many people in my life, and I think when I tell people I’ve lost a parent, they assume I’m broken or something. I’m not.”  
“I know,” Ann said. “I’ve never thought you were.”  
“I do miss him though.” Leslie turned back to the window. “When I was little, my Dad used to dance in the rain with me. When it was really pouring down like this. I guess it used to scare me a little, when I was younger. So he'd take me outside and we'd laugh together, and it made things feel okay."  
"Leslie..."  
"It’s one of my favourite memories of him. Either that or when he set up a camera in the living room and helped me record a campaign speech. Not my _best_ one, but it had some strong ideas.”  
“The one we used for the advert?” Ann asked with a smile. Leslie nodded.  
“Yeah! It was his idea to film it. And I’m glad we did. Again, it's a shame it wasn't one of my better ones...”  
Ann sighed softly and took her hand. “So... why don’t we?”  
“Why don’t we what? Film me? I _do_ have a few speeches prepared-”  
“No, _crazy_. Dance in the rain!” Ann said with a grin.   
A slow smile spread across Leslie’s face.

***

Leslie threw the front door open and ran out into the dark night, laughing. Immediately she was soaked, but she didn’t care. She turned around to see Ann running out after her, and she eventually ran _into_ her, the two of them howling with laughter as they grabbed each other's arms.   
The rain came down in torrents, totally drenching them both, but they ran down the yard to the bottom of the street, the two of them slipping and sliding on the wet grass. Ann came very close to falling over totally, but then Leslie was dragging her up.   
With the porch light on, the rain had an almost sparkly quality. The two of them were throwing their arms out and yelling in delight. It felt beautiful. Leslie hadn’t felt like this- this free- in a _long_ time.   
She found her fiancé and she kissed her as they continued to get drenched, but neither of them cared.

***

“That was so much fun,” Leslie commented as the two of them dried off. They were both sat on the sofa wrapped in fluffy towels. “I feel great now.”  
“I’m glad,” Ann replied. “I’m glad I could cheer you up.”  
“I just felt a little down,” Leslie admitted. “I don’t even know why. I don’t think about him all the time, and that makes me feel bad.”  
“You shouldn’t feel bad,” Ann soothed. "And next time you feel like that, you can just talk to me about it."  
"Thank you."  
Ann rubbed Leslie’s back, and Leslie smiled at her, and she found herself smiling back- there was something about the way Leslie looked at her, like Ann was pure gold. It made her heart flutter every time.  
“Hey,” Leslie said, standing. “Do you want to dance properly? Like, inside this time?”  
“Sure!”   
Ann stood, the two of them leaving the disgarded towels on the sofa, and Leslie had to appreciate how beautiful she looked. Both their hair was still damp, but Ann would look beautiful in any situation. It framed her face so well, and even now that she was in fluffy pyjamas, she looked potentially even more marryable than she had before.

“You’re beautiful,” Leslie told her.  
“So are you,” Ann replied. “Especially in that t-shirt with a waffle on it.”  
Leslie smirked at her. “It’s an essential item.”  
She turned around and plugged her phone into the speaker. “Listen,” she said, still with her back to Ann. “I was thinking about this song the other day and it reminded me of you.”  
A familiar guitar riff emanated through the room.   
Ann smiled softly. “Annie’s song?”  
“By John Denver, yes. And before you say anything, it doesn’t remind me of you because the name is similar to yours. It’s for literally every other reason to that.”  
Leslie wasted no time in closing the gap between them. She looped her arms around the back of Ann’s neck. Usually, she was clumsy and awkward, but in that moment, a surge of confidence filled her and she was as smooth as anything. Ann noticed that, and it entranced her. Her arms went around Leslie’s waist, and soon they were swaying together in the living room. The lights were dim, and the two of them shared a magical three minutes as they appreciated the song and each other’s company.

“Hey,” Ann murmured, her head on Leslie’s shoulder as they swayed back and forth. “I love you.”  
“I love you too,” Leslie whispered. “Thank you for dancing in the rain with me.”  
“Thank you for dancing in the living room with me,” Ann replied.  
“I think I’ve been holding my breath,” Leslie admitted. “I keep expecting something to break the spell. Maybe you’ll realise you shouldn’t be here.”  
Ann pulled away, but still kept her arms around Leslie’s waist. “Where else would I go?”  
“I don’t know…”  
“Leslie,” Ann said with a soft smile. “I’m not going anywhere.There is nowhere else I would ever want to be than here, with _you_.”  
“I'm not going anywhere either,” Leslie told her. “And not just because I could _literally_ not find anyone better than you. But because I really, really love you.”  
“I really, really love you too. And I’m going to pretend you didn’t put yourself down twice.”  
“Oh Ann, you caring, effervescent hummingbird.”  
Ann squinted at her. “Do you carry a thesaurus around with you? Or, like, plan these compliments in advance?”   
“You’ll never know my secrets, you sexy temptress.”  
The two of them laughed, and then Ann was squeezing Leslie’s hand.  
“I meant it. I’m _not_ going anywhere.”  
Leslie smiled back. “I know.”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unintentionally ominous ending there... thanks for reading!!!


	38. The Accident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie gets a terrible call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- car accident  
> I am so sorry for this one, I promise things aren't as bad as they seem.

“So, it’s been two months since you got on the council. And when I asked how you felt after the first month, you said that the results would be inconclusive because you still felt like- and I quote- _like you were walking on marshmallow fluff._ ”  
“That is correct, yes.”  
“So how are you feeling now?”  
Leslie looked at Ann over the top of her coffee mug. “It feels good. I’m living my dream, Ann.”  
Ann grinned. “That’s gr-”  
“I just wish I felt like I was accomplishing more. Council has stupid Jamm there, and it still feels like Pawnee doesn’t care about me, or appreciate me.”  
“You’re killing it out there!” Ann countered. “Maybe it’s because it’s early days. I’ll check in next after six months and _I bet_ you’re going to say how happy you are and that you’re doing great. Because that’s what Leslie Knope does best.”  
“Aw.” Leslie leaned across the table to kiss her, before standing. “You’re in the hospital today, yeah?”  
“Yeah, I’ll walk down in a minute.”  
“You’re going to walk?” Leslie asked. Ann nodded.  
“Sure! It’s a lovely day. You’ve got an early meeting, right?”  
“That’s right.”   
“I’ll see you tonight. Takeout?”  
Leslie smiled. “Sounds perfect. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”

***

Leslie couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. A feeling in the pit of her stomach. She just assumed it was nerves- but why was she still nervous going to the council? Maybe it was because Jamm was _always_ acting like an ass, but that had never bothered her before.  
Maybe it was because she still didn’t feel settled in there. It almost felt like it was temporary, like she was going to open her eyes one day and it would be gone. She felt like that about Ann as well- like one day she would open her eyes and Ann would be gone as well.  
But that was stupid. One day she would realise that these things weren’t just going to disappear, and she needed to accept the fact that she was _actually_ living her dream.

It was about an hour into the meeting, which Leslie was obviously very active in, when she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. When she was in meetings, she had it set so only Ann’s calls could get through, so immediately she felt a jolt of panic. She turned to Councilman Howser.   
“I hate to do this, but I’m getting a vital call. Can I just-”  
“Of course,” Howser replied, giving her a smile. Leslie always liked him- he always seemed like he was on her side. But then Jamm was pointing at her.  
“Knope! You’re always the one telling us to keep focused!”  
“Well, Jeremy, this is an important call.”  
“You’re such a fraud, Knope. You can’t just leave, that’s an offense!”  
By this point her phone had stopped ringing, but then it was starting up again, prompting Leslie to totally ignore Jamm and leave the room, hurrying to the side door and exiting into the hallway.   
She put her phone to her ear.

“Ann?”  
 _“Hello, is this Leslie?”  
_ This wasn’t Ann. It was an unfamiliar man’s voice. Leslie’s chest clenched.  
“Yes, this is her speaking.”  
 _“I’m really sorry to have to tell you this, but Ann was in a car accident.”  
_ Leslie felt the world fall out from under her feet.   
No.  
“W-what?”  
 _“I saw it happen from my car- some lunatic hit her and just kept driving. I phoned an ambulance. You were her emergency contact, so as soon as we got to the hospital I called you up.”  
_ “The hospital?”  
 _“Yeah, she’s gone in for surgery. I’m so sorry about this, but you need to get down here straight away.”_

_You need to get down here straight away. The hospital. Ann was hit by a car._

Leslie didn’t even remember the rest of the phone conversation, she just remembered somehow making her way through City Hall and outside into the light. It was cold outside, either that or she was shivering. Where was her car? Where the _hell_ did she park her car?!  
But then, somehow, Ron was beside her.  
“Leslie? What’s going on? I saw you barrel out here like a-”  
 _“I need to get to the hospital.”  
_ Ron looked at her, concerned. “Are you injured?”  
“No- Ann was in a- an accident. I need to get to the hospital.”  
Ron didn’t hesitate. “Let me drive you.”  
“No, I’m fine.”  
“Leslie. You’re panicking. _Let me drive you_.”  
So Leslie let Ron drive her.

***

The next thing Leslie knew, they were pulling into the hospital parking lot and she was leaping out of the car. She sprinted into the hospital like her life depended on it, with Ron hot at her heels.   
She got to the front desk, but her mouth wouldn’t work, so Ron was speaking to the woman behind the desk and then he was guiding her to a chair.  
“She’s in there right now,” he explained. Leslie nodded. And then a man was in front of them, wringing his hands. His eyes were wide, and he looked as if he had seen a ghost. He looked basically how Leslie felt inside, but Leslie was absolutely certain she felt a million times worse.  
“Are you Leslie?”  
Leslie looked up, nodding. He sat down next to them.  
“I’m Charles- we spoke on the phone? I’m so, so sorry.”  
He rummaged around in his pocket before pulling out Ann’s phone. It was such a familiar item that Leslie wanted to burst into tears. There were so many cute texts to each other on there- there was a call totalling at over five hours on there. There were pictures, there were memories. And he was handing it to her. She took it and held onto it tightly, as if it were a part of Ann.

“What happened?” Leslie asked dully. Charles glanced between her and Ron. Ron turned to Leslie.  
“Leslie, you don’t need to-”  
“Someone hit my fiancé,” Leslie said slowly. “And they drove away.”   
Charles’ face crumpled. “I’m so sorry. I did everything I could.”  
Ron stood up and patted the man’s shoulder. They spoke briefly to each other, but Leslie couldn’t listen to them. All she could do was stare down at the floor and listen to the rising heartbeat in her chest. She wanted to break down into tears, but the only person she wanted to help her _wasn’t here_.  
She stood up roughly.  
“Leslie?”  
“I’m going to the bathroom.”  
“Leslie, wait.”  
Ron put his hand on her arm, and Leslie wanted to smack his hand off her shoulder. But then she was crying, thick heavy sobs.   
“They hit her-” Leslie said through heavy gasps. “They hit her, Ron. And they drove away.”  
Ron looked crestfallen. Leslie gave a gasp of surprise when he pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.   
“I know,” he said softly.  
“We’re getting married. We promised each other we wouldn’t go anywhere, and we’re meant to be together forever and she’s in a _fucking_ operating room because somebody _hit her and left her_.”  
“I know,” Ron said again, pulling back. “You need to calm down. I know it’s difficult, but Ann wouldn’t want you to fall apart. I know she’s going to get through this, because she’s strong. And so are you.”  
“I know, Ron.” Leslie took a deep breath. “I’m strong, but I want to keep crying.”  
Ron nodded slowly. “That’s fine too. You can keep crying.”  
“I know you hate crying-”  
Ron shook his head. “It’s fine.”

The two of them sat there for what felt like hours. Leslie was gripping Ann's phone in her hands, surprised she hadn’t had a full-blown panic attack. Maybe it was because she was trying desperately hard to keep it together for Ann. Maybe it was because Ron was such a stoic presence beside her, with his hand on her arm. Or maybe it was because she was so filled with anger and dread and confusion and fear that she had no idea what to feel overall, and her mind was just a swirling mess.   
Leslie thought about the night before when they danced in the living room. When it was just them, and Leslie had felt on top of the universe. How things had changed. She thought about what Ann had said to her.  
 _“I meant it. I’m not going anywhere.”_  
“Don’t,” Leslie whispered to herself. “Please. I can’t.”  
Leslie could feel the panic swirling in her stomach. And then the tears were coming again.   
Before her body could make any decisions for her, Ron was tapping her arm. She looked at him, and then she looked across the room to see a doctor walking through to greet them. The two of them stood, and Leslie’s legs were shaking. She was very glad that Ron had his hand on the small of her back, keeping her grounded.

“Are you here for Ann Perkins?”  
Ron nodded. “That’s us.”   
The doctor nodded, before looking to Leslie. “Are you her fiancé?”  
Leslie swallowed thickly. “Yes. Yes, that’s me.” _  
  
  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm sorry. I'm going to immediately write the follow up now.


	39. Lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie deals with the aftermath of what happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- description of major injury, car accident  
> Leslie sort of loses it in this one

_“I really, really love you.”  
“I really, really love you too.”_

Leslie looked at the doctor, who gave her a warm smile. That was a good sign. Leslie remembered what it had been like when she was told her Dad was dead. The face on the doctor- she would never forget it.  
She snapped out of it when the doctor started talking- she let out a long stream of air out of her mouth the entire time he spoke.  
“I’m happy to inform you that your fiancé is out of surgery and resting. She suffered a concussion and a broken wrist. She’s also got bruises covering her body.”  
“But she’s alive?” Leslie asked, her voice sounding tiny and far away. The doctor nodded.  
“She’s extremely lucky- if that car had been going any faster, she may have broken her neck.”  
“Lucky?” Leslie asked, but the doctor was moving over and squeezing her arm.  
“You can go and see her. She’s unconscious still, as we only recently finished the surgery, but she’s expected to make a full recovery.”  
“Thank you,” Ron was saying. Leslie turned to him.  
“I need to go in.”  
“I know,” Ron said, his voice impossibly gentle. “I’ll go and speak to the guys. Should I get Donna or somebody to inform Ann’s parents?”  
Leslie hadn’t even thought of that. Ron must have caught that in her expression, because he kept talking.  
“I’ll do that. And then I’ll come back to check on you.”  
“You will?” Leslie asked, already edging away, eager to follow the doctor down the corridor and to her fiancé, the love of her life.  
Ron nodded. “You go to her. I’ll be back.”

***

Leslie opened the door to the room. It was just Ann in there, and the fact that it was just her in the bed made her seem even more small and fragile. The doctor had warned her in advance, but that still didn’t take away from the fact that she looked… broken. There was no way you could pretend she was just asleep. She had bruises on her face, her lip was split, and one of her eyes was swollen. And that was just her face- Leslie could see the bandages on her wrist.  
And the doctor had said she was lucky. Being lucky didn't look like this- there was no way.  
Leslie closed the gap between the door and the bed and collapsed into the chair beside the bed. She found Ann’s good hand and she grabbed it, squeezing it tightly. Then her other hand was in Ann’s hair, and she was crying.  
“I’m here,” Leslie whispered. “I’m here now. I’m sorry it took me so long.”

Leslie didn’t know how long she was sitting there for. It felt like hours, but in reality it can only have been about forty minutes. She was staring into space, keeping a tight hold of Ann’s hand. She couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that somebody could hit somebody with a car and just keep driving. It was beyond evil- Leslie was already thinking of the council meetings she would have regarding road safety.  
And then she remembered that Jamm had shouted at her for leaving the council meeting. And she didn’t even care. It occurred to her that she had been worried about making a good impression on the council, but when it came to Ann, even her dream job was nothing compared to her. And if she still had a job at the end of this, she would use it for good. But if not, all that mattered was that she was here with her fiancé when she needed her.

Leslie was brought out of her thoughts when Ann groaned beside her. Leslie jumped to attention, turning to look at Ann, who was blinking slowly up at her.  
“Leslie?” Ann asked, her voice tinged with confusion.  
“Ann!” Leslie whispered, literally containing everything she ever had to not yell loudly.  
She leaned down and the two of them were kissing gently, and Leslie had never felt a more intense feeling of relief in her life. So much so, in fact, that as soon as they broke apart, she immediately burst into tears, but then she was trying to reign herself back in, because bursting into tears in front of somebody in a hospital didn't give off the best impression.  
“Ann, oh my god. I was so worried about you. But you're okay. You're okay.”  
“Are you alright?” Ann asked her, her tired eyes scruitinising her. Leslie felt the tears falling down her face again.  
“Am _I_ okay? Are _you_ okay? How do you feel?”  
“A bit like I’m totally high on pain medication,” Ann replied with a chuckle, wincing a little. “What happened?”  
“Oh, beautiful Ann. Someone hit you with their car.” _And then they drove away.  
_Ann frowned. “God- I… I think I remember. Holy shit.”  
“I know, I know,” Leslie said quickly. “But thank goodness you’re going to make a full recovery, the doctor said that anyway, so you’re alright, well not alright but you’re not dead. Sorry I shouldn’t have said that, that was wrong-”  
“Leslie, _breathe_.”  
Leslie took a deep breath in, hating the fact that Ann was the one helping her when _Ann was the one in the hospital bed._ The tears were back.

“Leslie,” Ann whispered.  
“Ann, I was so worried. I… I love you so much. I was so worried I wouldn’t see you again and tell you that. I’m going to tell you that every second of the rest of our lives, if I have to.”  
Ann smiled at her, and Leslie swore she had never felt happier in her life to see such a simple thing.  
“Donna has told your parents, I think,” Leslie said. “I won’t lie, I’m not actually sure, because I’ve been here with you, but Ron promised he would sort it.”  
Ann nodded slowly, looking at her. “What is it?”  
“What do you mean?” Leslie asked. “Other than you being in hospital?” Ann shook her head slowly.  
“There’s something else. You can tell me.”  
Leslie took a deep breath. “It was a hit and run, Ann. Someone hit you with their car, and they- they just _left-_ ”  
Leslie felt her breath catching in her throat. The anger was back, and she wished Ann would smile again so she could get the happiness back. But the happiness was gone- they were left with the terrible reality.

But then Ann was weakly squeezing her hand. She was crying angry tears, and Ann was crying too.  
“I’m so sorry,” she kept repeating. “I should have been there.”  
“You couldn’t have done anything,” Ann told her gently. “We can get through this.”  
“You’re so incredible,” Leslie told her. “I’m a mess and you’re the strong one. I wanted to be strong for you and I can’t. I’m such a _fucking failure_.”  
She froze when Ann let out a tiny gasp.  
“Leslie,” Ann whispered. “Babe, you’re scaring me.”  
Leslie stopped speaking straight away. She rubbed her eyes furiously and looked at Ann. Ann who was probably scared out of her mind right now, and just needed Leslie to be calm for _once in her life_.  
And she couldn’t even do that.

“I’m sorry,” Leslie whispered. “Ann- I’m so sorry.”  
“Leslie,” Ann whispered again. “You have every right to be angry. I’m angry.”  
Why was she like this? This was worse than steamrolling. She was going to think about this for a long time, but right now she needed to bottle it up because Ann was scared and in pain.  
So, she bottled it up. She did what she did best- she put her mind to it and she accomplished the task- she put all the feelings away.  
Ann was giving her a strange look, so then Leslie was smiling at her. It probably looked strange.  
“I’m right here,” she said softly. “You need to get some sleep- you look exhausted.”  
“Leslie,” Ann tried. Leslie leaned over and kissed her forehead.  
“I love you. Get some rest.”  
“I love you too.”  
Ann’s eyes drooped closed, and Leslie sat back in the chair. She waited until Ann was definitely asleep before she was racked with silent, heavy sobs.

***

“Have you managed to sleep?”  
Leslie had left Ann’s room for the first time to meet Ron in the hallway. He had told her that everybody was sending all their love, and he said that Ann’s parents knew and they were on their way down. Leslie had thanked him, and turned to leave, but then he was squeezing her arm.  
“Leslie?” he asked, and she snapped out of it.  
“Uh- no. No, I haven’t.”  
“You look tired. You should try to.”  
But then something snapped, and she was ripping her arm away.  
“There’s a lot of things I should _try_ to do, Ron! I couldn’t even keep it together for Ann when she woke up, I was a fucking mess in there when she needed me to be strong. She was hit by a car and I couldn’t even keep it together for her, so I’m sorry, but I have _a lot_ to be thinking about!”  
She stopped her tirade when she saw Ron’s brow furrow. She put her head in her hands.  
“Leslie,” Ron said sternly. “You need to stop beating yourself up. You’re reacting naturally.”  
“That’s not the point! She’s always strong for me, and I- I can’t be.”

“Leslie,” Ron said slowly. “You’re the strongest person I know. Aside from myself.” Leslie looked up at him, and Ron coughed awkwardly. “You’re the strongest person I know. You just need to try and calm down and get some rest, and I know you’re going to be the most supportive person for Ann, like how you are for _everybody else_ in this _damn_ town because you’re _Leslie Knope_.”  
Leslie took a deep breath. In and out.  
“You’re reacting naturally,” Ron repeated. “Now try to get some rest. Have you eaten?”  
Leslie shook her head, realising her mouth wouldn’t work. Ron nodded.  
“I’ll go and find something for you to eat. Except this canteen probably serves rat poison, so I’ll expand the search.”  
“JJ's?” Leslie whispered. Ron nodded, and she smiled for the first time in a while.  
He left, and Leslie dragged herself back over to the chair next to her sleeping fiancé. She sat there for a long time.

***

When Ron got back, he wasn’t surprised to see Leslie slumped over the chair in a chaotic sleep, her head on the bed next to Ann. Their hands were intertwined, and Ron was surprised when he felt a rush of affection. That didn’t happen often, but when it did, it always seemed to be with Leslie.  
He was going to just put the waffles on the table and then leave, but he must have made too much noise, because then Ann was blinking awake.  
“Perkins,” Ron announced, as quietly as possible. “I’m glad you see you’re alright.”  
“Thanks Ron,” Ann murmured sleepily. She looked over and saw Leslie asleep next to her, and Ron saw how her eyes looked over her in such a loving way. He hadn’t seen it that often, but he knew what they had was real, genuine love.  
Ann looked back at him, but her face was drawn. Ron sighed.  
“She’s not had a good time,” he admitted. “And neither have you.”  
“I care more about her,” Ann said slowly. “What happened? She was acting… really strange.”  
Ron pulled up a chair. “She wanted to be strong for you. I think she’s struggling to wrap her head around what happened, as I’m sure you are as well. She kept it together in the waiting room, which I was incredibly impressed with. If it was somebody I had cared about in there- not a wife, of course- I wouldn’t have been able to keep it together like her.”  
“If it was Leslie in there, you mean?” Ann asked with a small smile, loving the way Ron squirmed.  
“She was impressive,” Ron said. “But I think she’s struggling.”  
“I’ve never seen her like that before,” Ann admitted quietly. “I’ve never seen her that angry.”

Ron sighed for a long time. “She really loves you,” he said, looking over at Leslie.  
“I know,” Ann said with a smile, looking at Leslie again. And there was that fond look.  
“She would do anything for you,” Ron added. “And she wishes she could do more."  
"She already does so much, I wish she could see it."  
A silence. Both of them were looking at Leslie.  
"Not that it’s any of my business," Ron suddenly blurted. He stood, then, and Ann smiled at him.  
“Thanks, Ron,” Ann said softly.  
“What for?”  
“For being there for her. Anyone else wouldn’t have known how to help her like you did.”  
Ron hesitated, and Ann saw a look in his eye. He glanced at Leslie, and Ann felt a rush of warmth at the way he looked at her. He cared for her- it was supposedly some big secret, but Ann knew that he considered Leslie his best friend.  
“No problem,” he finally said, a little gruffly. “I’m glad you’re alright.”  
“Thank you.”  
Ron turned and left, and Ann looked down at Leslie, who even in sleep looked stressed. Ann was still in pain, so she couldn’t lean over and kiss Leslie's forehead like she wanted to, so holding her hand would have to be enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!!


	40. Broken-hearted Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Leslie try to talk through their situation. (Both these gals need therapy.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt weird writing this one, I hope it's still alright

It had been three days. Three days of relative hell for both women- Ann was slowly but surely getting better, but that didn’t stop the fact that she was in almost constant pain. Her parents had shown up early the morning after she got into hospital, and Leslie had put on a smiling face and sat quietly as Sharon and Paul fussed over Ann for hours. They had asked her if she wanted them to stay overnight in a hotel, but Ann was very quickly getting sick of all the attention.  
When it was the Parks gang, it wasn’t so bad. Ben had been the best visitor, probably because the entire thing had been via video call from Chris’ phone, so she didn’t have to deal with the sympathetic looks, or the awkwardness of not knowing how to stand or where to sit. Chris himself had been the worst for that- the sheer nervous energy he expelled had made him almost unbearable- the lowest point was when he did lunges as he inspected the view from her hospital window. Tom had brought her a sequin pillow, as well as going over the top with his compliments to her. Donna had been fine- she was very to the point when it came to things like that, as was Jerry, who gave his well wishes and left it at that. April and Andy were as chaotic as ever- Andy was particularly upset about what happened, and April tried to insult her, but it was a half-hearted attempt. They were all worried- and it was sweet that they all took the time to see her, but it had only been a few days and Ann was _exhausted._

So that was why she was quite eager to just let her parents leave. She had slept for a few hours while they were there, and part of that was simply to get a break. When she had woken up, Leslie was attempting to show them a magic trick using cards from her purse, and Ann felt bad for leaving her to fend for herself, especially when she was off her game.  
That was another problem- Leslie was constantly radiating guilt, and it broke Ann’s heart. She was much quieter than usual- the fact that Ann had a seemingly constant stream of visitors aided this a little, as Leslie put on an act around them, partially so Ann didn’t have to keep a conversation going in her tired state, but Ann could see right through it. The more she tried to act normal, the worse it got. And, somehow, seeing her fiancé going through so much emotional turmoil was worse than the broken wrist and the bruises and everything else.  
That first morning, Ann had woken up to Leslie by her bedside, still keeping vigil. She had thought that they had made progress, what with them falling asleep together, but she was even more emotionally distant the next morning than she was before- she threw herself into making sure Ann was alright, so much so that it almost felt like smothering. Ann had gently suggested that she go home and have a rest on a proper bed, or even go into work, but Leslie had flat out refused. That had shocked Ann- Leslie told her she had already informed work that she wouldn’t be coming in for the rest of the week, and that she wouldn’t leave Ann’s side. After a back and forth, she eventually agreed to go home and get changed when Ann asked her if she could bring some of her toiletries.

While she was gone was when Ron made his first reappearance. Ann didn’t know if it was because he hated work, but he pleasantly surprised her with the amount of times he showed his face. Ann thought at first that it was for Leslie’s sake, but when he showed up while Leslie was gone, he didn’t immediately leave. That made Ann happy- she had once really struggled to talk to Ron, but ever since she had convinced him to come back from living in the woods, she found a new sense of mutual respect.  
“How are you feeling?” he asked, slightly stilted.  
Ann tried to shrug but realised it ached too much, so she opted to just scrunch her face up. Ron nodded. “I see.” He sat in the hospital chair. “God, these are uncomfortable. As a crafter of chairs myself, I’m unimpressed.”  
Ann laughed, ignoring the twinge in her chest as she did so. “I don’t know how Leslie managed to sleep in one of these all night.”  
“Where is she, by the way?” Ron asked with a frown. “I was expecting her to be here.”  
“I convinced her to go home so she could take a break. I disguised it as me wanting some stuff for her to bring back. I’m hoping she’ll do something for herself for once and actually chill out, and… now I’m saying it, I’ve realised that’s _not_ going to happen.”  
Ron snorted. “It seems unlikely.”  
“She’s booked all week off for work, did you know that?” Ann said with a wince. “I think she’s really thrown by what happened.”  
_“All week?”_ Ron asked. “I’ve... not seen her do that before.”  
“I know. It’s worrying me.”  
Ron’s face softened slightly. “You should try and concentrate on recovering, if you can.”  
“I can’t not worry about her, Ron, especially since she’s going to be glued to my side for the next week. And you know what she's like when she's looking after you.”  
“Point taken.”

***

So that’s how the next few days went. Ann and Leslie not talking about the elephant in the room, and Leslie going above and beyond to keep a constant vigil. On the evening of the third day, Ann couldn’t take it any longer. Leslie was flicking through the hospital tv channels but stopped to look at Ann when she turned to face her.  
“Do you need anything?” Leslie immediately asked. “Another pillow? Are you in pain?”  
“I’m fine,” Ann told her. “I just wanted to talk to you.”  
Leslie bit her lip. “You do? What about?” Ann fixed her with a stare, and Leslie felt herself blushing. “What?”  
“I’m worried about you, Leslie.”  
“You are? Well Ann, you _really_ shouldn’t be.”  
“And why’s that?”  
“Because you’re the one in hospital. And I’ve never felt healthier. I’m in my prime.”  
“What about the fact that you’ve slept in a hospital chair the last two nights? Is your back not sore?”  
“Do you not want me to stay with you?” Leslie asked her, and Ann sighed.  
“That’s not the point. I can tell you’ve taken this really hard-”  
“I’m _fine_!”  
“You called yourself a failure to my face, Leslie!” Ann said, feeling herself getting irate.  
“So what?!” Leslie shot back. “I’ve grown as a person since then!" Ann scoffed, and Leslie pouted angrily. "I’m staying strong for you- Ron agrees that I’m a strong person, and I’m holding everything together!”  
“Are you?” Ann asked her. “Babe, I love you, but I can read you like a book. I know you’re _miserable_ , and I know it’s because you’re worried, but all you’ve done is smother me and distance yourself at the same time somehow, so I need you to talk to me about how you’re feeling!”

Silence.  
The two women were staring at each other, as if they were waiting for the other one to break. After a while, Ann sighed.  
“I don’t want to be here,” she said bluntly. “I’m tired, and I’m in pain, and I’m sorry, Leslie, but you’re not helping the situation at all." Leslie went to speak, but Ann stopped her. "I know that’s not what you want to hear, but pretending like you’re okay isn’t doing either of us any favours. I _know_ you’re unhappy. So _who_ are you trying to fool?”  
Leslie looked away. Ann knew she had probably taken it too far, but she was exhausted, and she wanted answers.  
Leslie was going to apologise and leave it at that, but she knew that her beautiful land mermaid of a fiancé would want more than that, so she decided to be honest.

“I was so scared,” Leslie said softly. “I was so scared for you. And… when I found out it was a- a hit and run, it made everything so much worse. I don’t think I’ve ever been that angry before, Ann. And all I wanted to do was to be calm for you, and I couldn’t. I just couldn’t. I wanted to be able to look after you, and keep you safe, and I- _couldn’t_.”  
Her voice cracked a little on the last word, and Ann felt a rush of sympathy. Leslie took a shaky breath and carried on.  
“And I didn’t want to go into work and leave you alone here. I know you'd probably have visitors, since you're a beloved citizen, but there’s no way I could have ever gotten anything done with you here. So I thought the best thing to do was to pretend I was fine and throw myself into looking after you, because there’s already enough on your plate as it is. But I’ve just made everything worse, you said so yourself. I’m… I’m really sorry.”  
“You’ve not made everything worse,” Ann said immediately. “I just knew there was something wrong and I was worried. I’m just glad you’re finally talking to me about how you’re feeling. I know it was me who was hit, but this is going to affect you too. I know that if it was you in my place, I’d be beside myself. So it’s natural to be angry and upset.”  
“Ron said that,” Leslie said dully. “I just… I hate the fact that I can’t be as supportive to you as you are to me. Even saying it makes me annoyed, because _all I do is complain_.”  
“You’re too in your own head,” Ann told her. “Besides, you’re super supportive! Who else would sleep in a chair by my bed for two nights holding my hand? Or drive five miles to get me my favourite smoothie?”  
“You know that’s not what I mean,” Leslie said miserably. Ann sighed.

“I don’t know how to make you feel better. We’re in the situation we are, and we need to find a way to figure this out together. Try as we might, we can’t go back and stop me from getting hit by a car.”  
“We could try,” Leslie said immediately, and Ann was pleased to hear even a little bit of humour in her voice.  
“We _could_ ,” Ann replied, playing along. “I know my wrist would certainly appreciate it. But I think the best thing to do is to just move through this together.”  
“I’m just sorry, honey,” Leslie whispered. _“For everything.”_  
“You’ve done nothing wrong,” Ann told her. “Well, until you pretended you were fine- fooling _nobody_ , by the way.”  
“Hm,” Leslie said with a grimace. “You’re a sneaky bastard, Ann. How do you read me so well? Are you a _witch_?”  
Ann smiled at her, and Leslie felt her heart flutter. Her face was starting to heal now, but even with all the bruises, she was still the most beautiful thing Leslie had ever seen. She let out a sigh, and Ann smiled at her sadly, before patting the bed. Leslie wasted no time in clambering in next to her, pulling the blanket around herself so they were nestled in together.  
“Are you okay? Am I crushing you?”  
“I’m fine, baby.”  
“Good. Tell me if you’re not.”

The two lay there quietly for a while. Ann could practically hear Leslie’s brain whirring.  
“I’m sorry I had to have a frank conversation with you,” Ann told her. “I don’t like doing that.”  
“It was a little scary,” Leslie admitted softly.  
“I’m sorry. I just hate hearing you talk about yourself like that,” Ann said gently. “Hearing yourself say you’re a failure breaks my heart.”  
“Well seeing you in this bed breaks mine,” Leslie said without missing a beat. “I guess we’ll have to be broken-hearted together.”  
“I’m going to heal,” Ann promised her. “Eventually, anyway.”  
“And I’m going to be here for you,” Leslie told her firmly. “Through thick and thin. Anything you need, I’m going to be right here. Now with new and improved honesty about my feelings.”  
Ann smiled. “How could you _ever_ think you’re a failure when you’re the best fiancé in the world?”  
“I’m actually second best,” Leslie said frankly. “I crunched the numbers- they’re indisputable.”  
Ann laughed. “Was that a nerdy way of saying I love you?”  
“Sure was.”  
Ann turned her head and Leslie kissed her lips. “I love you too.”


	41. I Can Hold You Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann gets home. There's a party. Then there's a bad night's sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've started a journalism course so I might not be able to post as regularly. But don't worry, I have so many more chapters planned, and I'm still thinking of new storylines!!

Ann left the hospital after the fifth day, with the doctor recommending a week of bedrest.  
“You’re going to be recovering for about six weeks,” he told her. “But I know you know this already.”  
“Being a nurse has it’s perks,” Ann replied with a smile.  
Because of the bruising on her legs, which would take weeks to fully heal, Ann was given a wheelchair for use around the house. They also had crutches in the house, but Leslie was worried about her using them while she wasn’t there.  
“What if you fall over while I’m in work?” Leslie asked, stressed. “Should I just take the next six weeks off while you heal?”  
“Leslie!” Ann said with a laugh. “You can’t do that, you’d grow to hate me. I’ve got you on speed dial and I’ll use the wheelchair while you’re not here. How does that sound?”  
Leslie sighed in relief, giving her a big smile. “Ann, you resourceful stallion.”  
“I think you have everything under control,” the doctor told them, smiling at them both. “I can see you’ve got a supportive fiancé, Ms Perkins, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”  
“I really do,” Ann said, turning to kiss Leslie’s cheek.  
“And listen, should you feel any negative mental effects during your recovery, I recommend you seek a therapist,” the doctor told her. Ann nodded.  
“Okay, noted. Thank you so much.”  
After the doctor left, Leslie frowned at her and rubbed her arm. “Hey. You okay?”  
“Yeah,” Ann said with a sigh. “I just know these next few weeks are going to be difficult.”  
“I know,” Leslie replied. “But I’m here for you. We’re going to get through this.”

***

When the two of them arrived home, Ann felt a rush of relief at the sheer familiarity of it all. They used to do this before the accident. This was the two of them arriving back at their home, together. She wasn't going to think about how it had been the past few days. Now was a time to be happy.  
Leslie leapt out of the car and was at her side of the door within about four seconds. Ann felt a rush of affection- there was no way she was going to be without help during her recovery.  
Leslie got the wheelchair out of the back and popped it out, before helping Ann ease into it.  
“Ugh,” Ann groaned, the happiness being replaced with discomfort. “This is weird.”  
“I know,” Leslie commented gently. “But it’s only for a few weeks. And, if it makes you feel any better, you’ve never looked more radiant than now, as you’re coming home from hospital.”  
Ann snorted. “I know you’re lying.”  
“It’s true!”  
As the two of them made their way down the path, Leslie hesitated before they got to the door, bringing the wheelchair to a stop. Ann looked at her.  
“Uh, Les?”  
“Ann, I have a bit of a surprise for you. But it’s just occurred to me that, maybe you just want to go to bed. I apologise in advance.”  
Ann looked at her strangely. “Err… okay?”  
Leslie walked up to the door and unlocked it, and Ann braced herself for whatever Leslie Knope style surprise was on the other side.

When the door opened, Ann was greeted with all of their friends stood in her living room. They gave out a big cheer, and Leslie watched, her heart filling with love, as Ann’s face broke out into a grin. Everyone was there, even Ben, who was on a laptop screen held by Andy, but was holding a glass of champagne.  
“Guys!” Ann yelled, her good hand coming up to her face to cover her mouth.  
There was a huge banner reading _Welcome Home Ann!_ Which was entirely embroidered. Ann only knew one person who did embroidery, and she turned to look at her in surprise.  
“Leslie!”  
Leslie smiled at her. “I’m so proud of you.”  
“I love you.”  
Ann turned back to the party, and Leslie wheeled her into the room properly before moving to shut the front door. Andy was there at her side right away.

“Ann! You’ve got a cast on your wrist! From my experience, you should _always_ use a ruler to scratch down the side.”  
Ann snorted. “Yes, I remember the cast days quite well.”  
Andy tilted his head. “Oh my god, you were there too! I totally forgot! In my head you’ve always been Leslie’s girlfriend.”  
April was there, then. “That’s because she _always has been-_ mwahahaha!”  
Tom leapt to her other side. “Do you want a drink?”  
“I probably shouldn’t- meds and all…”  
“We have non-alcoholic drinks!” Tom replied, giving her a grin.  
“Aside from me,” Ron cut in. “I’m glad you’re back, but I would never stoop to that level.”  
“I tried to force him,” Donna said. Jerry nodded.  
“She did. It was scary.”  
“In my opinion, non-alcoholic drinks are _literally_ the best. And I don’t say that often.”  
“You literally say it all the time, Chris,” April snapped.  
Ann just sat back, relishing the fact that her fiancé had organized a party and her friends were all here. And she was home.

***

The evening ended relatively early- everyone could tell that Ann was still utterly exhausted, and it was actually April who announced that they should leave them alone.  
“Ann’s been in a lumpy hospital bed for _days_ ,” she whined. “Which is gross. She probably needs to shower, too.”  
“Thanks, April,” Ann said, a sour smile on her face. But then she smiled properly, and April smiled back- only for a second, but it made Ann really happy to see it.  
“Yeah,” Andy said, once he saw Ann was saying goodbye to Donna. He leant over to whisper in April’s ear. “I bet she wants to use her own bed. For _stuff_.”  
April snorted, and then Ben was giving a signature Ben look of confusion, this time from a laptop that Andy was holding wonkily in one hand. “She’s recovering from an accident, guys.”  
“The best remedy!” Andy announced loudly. Chris turned to them.  
“What is? Exercise?”  
“Of a sort,” Andy said, drawing out the words in a posh accent. April shoved his arm.  
“You’re gross. We’re gonna do it later, though.”  
Andy punched the air. _“Nice!”  
"Chris!" _Ben groaned. "Please take me away from them."   
Chris nodded, extracting the laptop from Andy. "You got it!"

***

Ann felt a surge of love for her girlfriend when she lifted her out of the wheelchair and onto the bed.  
“You’ve really proven you can carry me,” Ann said with a smirk.  
“Your body is made of butterfly wings,” Leslie replied in a dreamy voice. “Made of gold.” Ann gave her a look. “Basically you’re very light.”  
“Or _you’re_ very strong,” Ann commented. Leslie shrugged.  
“Could be. _I’ve been carrying the Parks Department for years._ ”  
The two of them giggled about that for a while. Ann watched Leslie get changed, and then Leslie was hovering by Ann.  
“I hope it isn’t awkward that I’m helping you get changed. On account of the cast.”  
Leslie indicated Ann’s wrist cast with her head. Ann gave her another look. “Well, I don’t mind. I guess I’m going to have to get used to it, aren’t it?”  
“Although,” Leslie said with a smirk. “I wish I was taking your clothes off under different circumstances.”  
“When I don’t feel like my whole body is falling apart, I’ll take you up on that offer,” Ann shot back, and Leslie felt a small shiver down her spine just from her tone of voice.  
The two of them finished getting ready and slipped under the covers. Leslie held Ann gently, both of them sighing in content.  
“It’s been too long,” Ann commented.  
“Well, you’re home now,” Leslie replied quietly. “I can hold you again.”

***

Leslie jolted awake when Ann let out a scream. And then she was shuddering beside her. Leslie fumbled to turn on the bedside lamp and sat up in a panic.  
Ann’s face was wet with tears, and cried out again- Leslie wasn’t sure if it was from the dream or in agony, but it pierced her heart like a dagger.  
“Ann!” Leslie shouted, not sure how else to react. She didn’t want to shake her- her fiancé was still recovering from the accident and surgery; she didn’t want to hurt her more. After a few seconds with no change, however, Leslie put her hands onto Ann’s face and called her name again.  
“Ann! Ann, I’m right here, babe. It’s just a dream.”  
Ann’s eyes shot open, and she raked in a sharp breath. Leslie waited a second, before pulling her to her and holding her tightly.  
“Deep breath,” Leslie instructed. Ann took in a breath, but then she burst into tears. “Oh, babe.”  
“Leslie?” Ann asked, shuddering. Leslie nodded.  
“I’m right here. I’m right here.”  
“Thank god,” Ann whispered. “I thought- I thought I was back…”  
She cut off abruptly, but Leslie knew what she was going to say.  
“I know, I know,” Leslie whispered, stroking Ann’s hair. “But you’re okay. You’re here with me.”  
“Thank god,” Ann repeated softly, and Leslie’s face crumpled. She felt tears coming, but she didn’t let Ann see. God, she wished she could just take all her pain away.

They lay there for a good ten minutes, until Ann stopped crying. Leslie just kept stroking her hair and shushing her gently.  
“It’s alright,” she soothed. Ann moved away, groaning slightly, and Leslie gave her the space.  
“God, it hurts.”  
Leslie felt another dagger to the chest. Ann flopped back down, and Leslie couldn’t tell what her mood was. She lay back down, looking at Ann, holding her breath. Finally, Ann turned to look at her.  
“Thank you,” she whispered. “For being there.”  
“Always,” Leslie told her. “Do you want to talk about it?”  
Ann paused to think. Then, she was speaking slowly.  
“When I was in hospital, I couldn’t really remember what had happened. But getting home, being back in normality, I think it’s clearer to me how different it is. Last time I was here, I wasn’t in constant pain. Y’know?” Leslie nodded slowly. Ann sighed. “It’s so shitty.”  
“It’s beyond shitty,” Leslie replied. “I wish I could take all your pain away.”  
Ann smiled at her sadly. “But then you’d have it, so I’d have to take it right back.”  
Leslie shook her head, and Ann’s smile turned playful- just for a second. And then she sighed again.  
“I’m sorry I woke you up.”  
“Don’t be sorry,” Leslie said instantly. “Ann, you perfect sunflower- never be sorry.” She took a breath. "Maybe you should think about that therapy the doctor suggested?"  
Ann hummed softly. "Maybe, yeah."

They lay there for a while.  
“Do you think we should bring the wedding forwards?” Ann asked abruptly.  
“How come?” Leslie asked, curious.  
“I want something to look forward to, to get my mind off everything.”  
“Aw, babe.”  
“The fact it’s like, weeks and weeks away… it just makes me sad. And me being in a serious accident just proves that things can change in the blink of an eye.” Leslie winced, and Ann sighed. “Sorry.”  
“Don’t be sorry,” Leslie said again.  
“Maybe that’s not what I need,” Ann mused. “It would be a total pain in the butt to move. I know you love planning- you were really looking forward to it. And we’ve got tons left to do. ”  
“That’s what _you_ think,” Leslie said with a smirk. “Ann, I do love planning, but I’d marry you tomorrow if that’s what you wanted.” Ann reached out and squeezed Leslie’s hand.  
“I just need _something_ ,” she told her. "Something to distract me."  
“What about the bachelorette party?” Leslie suggested suddenly. “Once you’re a bit better, we could have the party. And it’ll be kick-ass, because I’ll _make_ it kick-ass.”  
Ann hummed. “You’re full of good ideas, Leslie Knope. I really bagged a good one.”  
Leslie giggled, and the two of them snuggled a little closer.  
“I meant it,” Leslie whispered. “I’d marry you tomorrow. No planning required.”  
“I’d marry you tomorrow too. But I feel like I’d be a bad fiancé if I didn’t let you go full ham on the planning.”  
Leslie squeezed Ann’s hand. “You think you can fall asleep now?”  
Ann nodded, swallowing. “I’m scared though.”  
“I’m right here,” Leslie reminded her. "I can hold you again, if you want."  
Ann smiled. “Thank you.”  
Leslie stayed awake until Ann drifted off again- only then did she turn the light off and settle down again herself. Nothing was going to make Ann suffer- not on her watch. It was too painful to see her angel go through anything. Leslie was going to be there for her, looking out for her, every step of the way. No matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! <3


	42. Ben Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann is recovering. Ben is coming back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a chill one

It had been two weeks. They had gotten into a good routine by now- Ann was slowly recovering, and she was able to do a bit of work from home. In terms of her nursing job, she wasn’t going back in until she was fully better- she was falling asleep every two hours, so there was no way she would be able to handle one of those killer twelve hour shifts.  
Ann was pleased that she could walk now. For a short while, anyway. Thinking back to when Leslie had bruised her legs, that had been awful. But it was undeniable that Ann’s was ten times worse. Leslie had vocalized that to her once when she was helping her get ready for a shower. Ann had protested, but Leslie insisted it was true. Not that it mattered. Ann thought she was incredibly lucky to have Leslie there to help her. But when she said that, Leslie protested, as always.

“It’s not lucky, Ann! I’d look after you even if we were acquaintances. Besides, I’m _more_ than happy to do it.”  
“I know you’re happy _right now_ , since you happen to be undressing me for a shower.”  
Ann didn’t miss the way Leslie’s cheeks darkened considerably. She cleared her throat awkwardly.  
“Well- that’s not the point. I’m happy to look after you.”  
Ann laughed. “Okay.”  
Ann caught they way Leslie looked at her legs. Her eyes were full of sympathy. That hadn’t gone away, even though they were used to the drill by now. Ann was just glad she didn’t say anything- Leslie couldn’t help how she reacted, but there were no sympathetic words, which she appreciated.  
Her expression changed to that of a smirk, and Ann rolled her eyes, a smile forming.  
“You want to join me in the shower?”  
“Hell yeah.”  
“We can’t do this _every_ time you help me undress.”  
“Ann! It’s to make sure you don’t slip and die. _Slip and die, Ann_!”  
Ann bit her lip, a grin on her face. “Aren’t I lucky?”

***

She still had nightmares, every so often. Leslie was always, always there for her. When she could be, anyway. She had the occasional one when she was napping during the day. Usually she was too tired to even dream, but sometimes, it happened. Then she would text Leslie, who was in work, but who would always reply within ten minutes with support. And then, when Leslie got home, her arms would be around Ann’s back and she would gently pull her to her and hold her for as long as she needed. And then, quite often, they would give each other a look, and…

A lot of her recovery methods ended in sex. Which Ann had no problem with whatsoever.

***

On the third week, Leslie was still missing Ann in work. April was the first one to call her out on it.  
“Leslie!”  
“Hm?” Leslie asked, jumping to attention. “Sorry, I was texting Ann. Making sure she got the soup I made her that’s in the fridge.”  
April put on a grimace, but it was very over the top and probably fake. “You guys are gross.”  
“I think it’s nice!” Andy replied. “If I was sick, you’d do that for me, babe. Don’t lie.”  
“No I wouldn’t,” April muttered.  
“Anyway, sorry guys. What I was saying was that Ben is coming back tomorrow.”  
“Ew,” April commented, and Leslie rolled her eyes.  
“April! I know you didn’t want to go out with him to Washington, which was your choice, but you could at least act happy about him coming back.”  
April squirmed. “Fine. I’m glad he’s coming back.”  
“So is Chris,” Tom said, jumping over. “The guy looked practically ecstatic this morning.”  
“Yeah,” Donna commented. “Is something going on with them? Didn’t he and that reporter chick break it off?”  
“That is correct, yes.” Leslie said. Then she hurried to correct herself. “About Shauna, anyway.”  
“What about Chris?” Tom asked, smirking.  
Leslie shrugged. “Ben was offered another job, but he turned it down. He gave us guys as one of the reasons, and Chris as a separate reason.”  
Donna and Leslie grinned at each other. Then Donna was nodding her head slowly. “That’s hella’ cute.”  
“No speculation!” Leslie ordered, pointing her finger at everyone. “We’re just glad to have Ben back.” She lowered her voice. _“As is Chris.”_  
“Are you giving him a party?” April deadpanned. Leslie paused in consideration.  
“Wow. I’d been so busy with work and looking after Ann, I hadn’t even thought about it. I’ve been planning the wedding as well…” She trailed off for a second, and Tom was about to cut in, but then Leslie started up again. “Never mind- I have a party idea. Good initiative, April!”  
April looked off into the middle distance.

***

It wasn’t a big party. Leslie knew that wasn’t really Ben’s thing. She was already planning the bachelorette party- dated as soon as Ann was recovered, as per her request. Instead, Ben’s party was going to be held at Chris’ apartment. He was more than happy to take part in that.  
“Leslie Knope! That is _literally_ the best idea I have ever heard.”  
“What about this morning when I said we should put a bike rack by the entrance to Ramsett Park?” Chris giggled. “Wow! I hadn’t thought about that in _hours._ You’re the idea woman today!”  
One good thing about Chris’ building was that there was a wheelchair ramp. She and Ann had agreed to bring it just because Ann was still too tired to walk for long periods of time, not to mention how painful it got after a while.

They were getting ready at their place, and Ann had requested that Leslie braid her hair.  
“Thanks,” Ann said with a small smile. The two were sat on the bed, with Leslie sat just behind Ann, and Ann watched in the mirror as Leslie made short work of doing her hair.  
“You’ve got gorgeous hair,” Leslie commented. “Have I ever said that before?”  
Ann pretended to think. “I’m not sure.”  
“What!” Leslie yelled, making the two of them jump. Leslie furiously undid the last bit that she messed up, and Ann couldn’t help but laugh.  
“I’m _kidding_ , honey. You compliment me, like, all the time. I don’t think there’s one part of my body you haven’t said was radiant, or stunning. Or sexy.”  
Leslie sighed in relief. “Good. That’s how it should be.”

***

They pulled up outside Chris’ apartment early. Leslie checked her watch.  
“Right, Ben should be here in ten minutes. He knows that Chris and I wanted to see him at the apartment, he _doesn’t_ know that everyone is here to surprise him.”  
“Does Ben like surprises?” Ann asked. Leslie shrugged.  
“I don’t know, but it’s nothing major. We’re not going to jump out at him.”  
Ann sighed in relief. “Remember the last time you jumped out at him? Poor guy.”  
Leslie grimaced. His shirt had become splattered with coffee. “Yes, Ann, I remember that quite keenly.”  
The two women smiled at each other. Leslie squeezed Ann’s hand.  
“We’ll only stay until you’re ready to leave,” Leslie said, a little quieter. “I’m fine to leave whenever.”  
“I’m sure I can last a few hours,” Ann replied. “But thanks.”  
The two leaned in and gave each other a quick kiss.  
“I’m happy we have this time together,” Leslie told her. “I miss you when I’m at work.”  
“Leslie, you see me every evening at home.”  
“It’s not long enough!”  
Ann grinned at her. “I love you.”  
“I love you too.”

***

Everyone was in position when they heard Ben approaching the door. There was no jumping out, no party poppers. Just all of them sat in the room, with the lights on. The tamest surprise party ever.  
Ben knocked on the door, and Chris was eagerly flinging the door open within a matter of seconds.  
Nobody yelled or anything, but Ben _still_ managed to jump.  
“Woah!” he spluttered, his eyes going huge. But then he was grinning, and everyone was standing up to greet him. Before they could get to him, Chris was wrapping him up in a huge hug, lifting him off the ground.  
“I am _literally thrilled to see you_!”  
“I don’t doubt it!” Ben managed. “Chris, you’re crushing me with your giant abs.”  
“BEN!” Leslie finally yelled, surprising nobody. Ben grinned at her.  
“Was this your doing?” he asked her.  
“Hell yeah.”  
“Thought so.”  
The two of them did their special handshake, and then they were hugging. Afterwards, Ben turned to give Ann a hug.  
“It’s great to see you,” he told her. Ann smiled at him, and he knew that he meant more than that. It’s great to see you _here and doing well_. But Ben was subtle, and she appreciated that.  
And then Leslie was taking her hand, and they were enjoying a night together with their friends. And Ann knew that, as soon as she was ready, Leslie would drop everything to drive her home. And Ann appreciated her more than anything.  
  



	43. A Change of Scenery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insecurity and smut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flor you never gave me another girl's name to use so I used yours.

“Can I just come with you? _Please?_ ”  
“Are you sure?”  
Leslie was grabbing the shopping bags, getting ready to get some groceries. Ann was lingering by the door.  
“Last time you came back with seven bottles of waffle mix. And no bread.”  
“That was a special occasion!”  
“What was the special occasion?”  
“…Thursday?”  
“Leslie, it’s been weeks. I can walk around now, the cast is off in a few days…”  
“Ann, I just-”  
“I’m not a china doll, Les,” Ann pointed out, giving Leslie a look. Leslie squirmed.  
“Fine. Okay. Of course you can, I mean, it’s your choice. I’d love to have you with me, I just…”  
Ann nodded slowly. “I know. But all I’ve done outside is gone for, like, short park walks. I want to do something _normal_. It’s been weeks.”  
Leslie swallowed. “I know.”  
Ann took her hand. “I’ll still let you buy waffle mix.”  
“If you didn’t let me I’d break off the engagement.”

***

Leslie and Ann were half-way around the store, going at a reasonably slow pace for Ann’s sake. She was happy to hold the shopping list and point out items- Leslie was a whirlwind, grabbing things off the shelves and throwing them into the cart. Ann had to laugh- Leslie treated every activity like it was something utterly amazing, and that was something Ann had started to do since Leslie came into her life. Before then, she had been bitter. Maybe even a little unhappy. But as soon as Leslie had come tumbling into her life (and the pit) everything had changed.  
Leslie knew Ann was laughing at her, but she didn’t care. If anything, she kept going _because_ Ann was laughing- anything to make her smile.

Things were normal until a stunning woman in a bright flowery top was approaching them, a big grin on her face. She was extremely tall, and Leslie immediately felt inadequate somehow.  
She didn’t know her, but then Ann was squealing, and Leslie was looking between them, confused.  
“Flor!” Ann said, excited. The two women embraced.  
“Ann! Wow, you’re looking great!”  
Ann turned to Leslie. “Les, this is Flor, she’s a doctor at the hospital.”  
Leslie broke into a grin. “Oh, wow! You’re… wow, you’re very pretty.” She swallowed. “God, that just came out of my mouth with no warning.”  
Flor laughed, and of course it was a perfect laugh. “That’s quite alright, I get it a lot.”  
Ann laughed and put her arm around Leslie’s shoulder. “Flor, this is my fiancé.”  
Flor nodded, a smile on her face. Leslie felt a little jolt of something. “Wow, you two are an adorable couple.”  
Ann smiled. “Thank you.”  
“How have you been holding up since the accident? You’d better say you’re back in work soon, I’ve missed seeing your face.”  
Leslie watched the two of them talk, feeling a rush of love as Ann laughed with her friend. It was good that she had gotten outside and talked to somebody- a lot of her life recently had just been her and Leslie, and she was probably happy to talk to somebody that wasn’t her.

After a while, they said goodbye to the tall, stunning doctor lady, but not before Flor asked Ann if they could go for lunch tomorrow. Leslie was in work, so it wasn’t like Ann had plans.  
“That sounds great!” Ann told her. “It’s nice to have a bit of change of scenery!”  
Leslie grinned. “She’s been stuck with me for weeks!”  
Ann glanced at her, scrunching up her face. But then Flor was laughing and hugging Ann goodbye.  
“I’ll text you! And lovely to meet you, Leslie!”  
Leslie smiled at her- a genuine smile. “You too!”   
They continued round the store. Ann could tell something was off, because Leslie was a lot more subdued now, but she gave her a chance to tell her herself. She trusted Leslie to talk to her, especially after their intense conversation while Ann was still in hospital.

That conversation happened once they had paid and were back in the car. Leslie got into the driver’s seat and sighed heavily. Ann turned and looked at her, waiting for whatever it was.  
“Ann, you asked me to be more honest with you when I felt sad.”  
Ann gave her a sympathetic look. She knew it. “What’s wrong?”  
“Sometimes I wonder why you would ever want to be with someone like me, when there was someone like _her_ in your life.”  
Ann frowned. “Leslie, you met her for five minutes in a store. Why would you ever think that?”  
“She’s got the whole package, Ann! Did you _see_ how white her teeth were? I bet she doesn’t buy seven bottles of waffle mix. I’m glad you’re doing something with her tomorrow, it’s going to be so much fun. You’ve been stuck with me for weeks; I’m surprised you haven’t gotten sick of me. You need a change of scenery away from me,”  
“Leslie,” Ann said slowly. “Your brain is spiraling again. Just because I liked to see somebody I hadn’t seen in a while; doesn’t mean I’ve got sick of living with you. I literally proposed to you- I want to live with you for the _rest of my life_.”  
Leslie let out a long breath. “You’re right. God, I’m stupid.”  
Ann pushed her shoulder gently. “Leslie!”  
“Sorry.” Leslie licked her lips nervously. “I want you to know I’m not jealous, it’s like the opposite of jealousy. Sometimes I just get really insecure.”  
“I know,” Ann said with a sad smile. “But you need to remember that I love you. And we work well together, don’t we?”  
Leslie nodded. “Yes. We do.”

***

Leslie was wound up all night- Ann knew she was trying to hide it, because after the talk in the car she spoke about literally anything else, including a New Yorker article on “The History of the Ladder” that she read years ago. After they had eaten dinner, Ann turned to Leslie.  
“I love you.”  
“I love you too,” Leslie said, surprised.  
“And you’re beautiful and amazing. And so perfect. Okay?”  
Leslie frowned. “Okay…”  
“Maybe we need to talk to somebody about this. Because it makes me really sad, Leslie. You thinking I need a change of scenery away from you, and that I should be with someone else. It makes me really, really sad.”  
“I’m sorry it makes you sad,” Leslie whispered, her voice wobbling.  
“Don’t be sorry, okay? It isn’t your fault. I just wish you didn’t feel like this.”  
“Me too. Maybe I should. I do know you love me really, sometimes I just… I just get wrapped up in my own nonsense.”  
“I do love you. _A lot_.”  
Ann stroked her arm slowly, in what was meant to be a comforting gesture, but she didn’t miss how Leslie let out a little shiver. The two of them looked at each other, and it was like electricity. Before they knew what they were doing, they were kissing. Leslie felt all of her fear disappear as Ann wrapped her arms around her.

The two of them stood up frantically, the kiss deepening. Leslie’s hands were on Ann’s back, and then she brought them round to the front and unbuttoned Ann’s shirt. Ann brought Leslie’s top up over her head, and then her hands were in her hair.  
Soon the clothes were off, and they were kissing again. Leslie’s hands were on Ann’s back, the nails digging in ever so slightly, and it felt amazing. Ann shivered, and Leslie stopped.  
“Is that okay? Are you okay?”  
“It’s fine,” Ann said breathless. “Do it again.”  
Leslie did it, and Ann arched her back under the contact. Because of the cast, Ann couldn’t fully do the same to Leslie, so instead she leaned over, pausing for a second. Leslie nodded, so she bit Leslie’s lip, pulling it with her teeth before letting go, and Leslie let out a groan. Just that noise elicited a shiver that ran down Ann’s back. Their hands were everywhere- they had no control. It felt amazing.

***

They fell back on the sofa together, panting. Leslie wrapped her arms around Ann and held her tightly, feeling a lot less wound up now.  
“You’re not hurting, are you? How’s your arm?”  
“I’m fine,” Ann replied, a little breathless. “Wow, we haven’t done it that _energetically_ in a while, have we? How's your lip?”  
“No we haven’t. And my lip is fine.” Ann looked anyway, but Leslie was telling the truth.  
“I’d missed it,” Ann said in a low voice, and just the tone of voice made Leslie shiver again, remembering what they had done only minutes before. How they had felt.  
“I love you,” Ann said again. “I wanted to show you how much I love you.”  
“I felt it,” Leslie said in a sultry voice. “I hope you felt how much I love you too.”  
“I did,” Ann told her, kissing her lips. “When you’re ready though, do you think you should try therapy?”  
Leslie nodded slowly. “I think you’re right. Thank you for caring about me.”  
Ann laughed softly, amazed that she would say such a thing. “Always, Leslie.”  
  



	44. Bachelorette Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long awaited party is here!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is really long. sorry.

Ann and Leslie watched with wide eyes as the cast was sawn off. It fell down with a clatter, and with that Ann felt like a weight had been lifted. She could finally move on from what happened. There was no physical evidence anymore that she had been in an accident. No more looks, no more asking how she was. She could go back to feeling normal- or as normal as she could, anyway.  
She and Leslie marveled at how light her skin looked- there was now a square of pale skin and that was the only reminder that she had a cast on at all. Until she moved the wrist and felt how weak it was.  
“That’s normal,” she told Leslie, who nodded.  
“I know. I’ve broken my wrist twice.”  
_“Twice?”_  
“Yeah. And the health insurance claimed that having a wrist was a pre-existing condition. Oh, don’t worry, that’s no longer a problem. I think.”  
The two of them looked at each other, bemused. The doctor got rid of the casts and turned to them, grinning.  
“So, you’re all sorted! Did you look into the therapy I told you about?”  
Ann nodded. “I… I did, yes. I’m still mulling it over.”  
She didn’t miss how Leslie squeezed her arm. The doctor nodded.  
“That’s good. I’ve heard Dr Richard Nygard is particularly excellent.”  
“Are we sure this isn’t some kind of cult situation?” Leslie cut in. “It’s the only solution I could come to, given the evidence that was presented.”  
The fact that the doctor just breezily carried on with the conversation confirmed some kind of suspicion in Leslie’s mind. “So, any nice plans to celebrate?”  
“Well,” Ann said, a shy grin on her face. She looked at Leslie, who grinned back. “We’re having our bachelorette party tonight.”  
The doctor’s face lit up. “Oh! How does that work, then?”  
“What do you mean?” Ann asked, scrunching up her face.  
“Well usually you’d have two separate parties. But this is just one big party, really, isn’t it?”  
“All our friends are invited regardless of gender, yes,” Leslie informed him, in what Ann liked to call her “professional government worker voice.”  
The doctor chuckled. “Well, I’m sure you guys will have a ball.”

***

Ann rubbed her wrist. She was watching Leslie as she put a large banner up on the wall, after insisting she didn’t need help.  
“You’ve got weak wrists, Ann!” she called.  
“It’s just the one wrist actually,” Ann replied. “And do we _have_ to have the banner?”  
Tom had made it and, to put it plain and simple- it was ugly. Not only did it have their faces on it- both of them strangely airbrushed so they looked like aliens, but it had that stupid couple nickname in the middle.  
“KNOPEKINS” wasn’t something Ann had ever wanted to stick, but Tom kept trying to bring it back. He then told her that if they had ever dated, he would have thought of a cute name for them too. Ann had replied that, not only would they never date in a million years, but she would immediately ban every single name in existence. Which she thought was more than fair.  
“It’s not the best, I agree,” Leslie said as she hopped down and stepped back to admire her handiwork. “But Tom is our friend, and he put effort into it!”  
_“Did he?”_  
“Well- he made it.”  
The two of them stared at it for a second, tilting their heads left and right.  
“It’s sort of… eerie,” Leslie admitted. “The only good part I can think of is that it’s perfectly central on the wall, and that part was me.”  
“Should we burn it and pretend we lost it?”  
“You got it.”

***

It was almost nine, and Leslie and Ann had just finished getting ready. Whenever they got themselves dolled up for something, Leslie insisted that they got ready in separate rooms so they could surprise each other. It was a cute little tradition that Ann was more than happy to take part in. Even if she ever felt insecure, seeing Leslie look at her like she was a goddess… it made her feel like one. And Leslie always served _looks_.  
Tonight was no exception.  
When the two women met each other in the living room, after having announced they were both ready and giggling, they had to catch their breath.  
“Leslie…” Ann whispered. “God, can I just marry you right now?”  
Her dress was dark, with a gorgeous pattern. Ann was wearing one that was a rich maroon colour. Ann loved autumnal colours- Leslie had once said that they made her look like an incandescent moth. Whatever that meant. But she liked it, and the way she was looking Ann up and down, Ann knew that she still did.  
“Not if I marry you first!” Leslie exclaimed.  
“You look gorgeous,” Ann added. Leslie blushed, before leaning over to kiss Ann deeply. When they pulled apart, she leaned over to her ear.  
“Not as gorgeous as you.” Then she pulled back. “It must feel good to have the cast off, huh.”  
“It does,” Ann said with a grin.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Leslie sprinted to the door and flung it open. She was greeted with April and Andy, both of whom were dressed up as Janet Snakehole and Burt Macklin respectively.  
“We have arrived!” April announced, the long cigarette balanced on her lip. She somehow already had a full glass of red wine, which she swilled around next to Leslie’s face before bringing it back and drinking deeply.  
“You brought wine?” Leslie asked, confused.  
“It’s blood!” she yelled, and Andy nodded eagerly.  
“Whatever, weirdos. Come on in!”  
They came into the living room. Ann gave the two of them a big smile and held out the snack bowl.  
“Wow! Neat!” Andy exclaimed, before taking the entire bowl and tipping the crisps into his mouth.  
Ann winced. “No, actually- you know what? Sure.”  
“So is there like, a stripper coming?” April asked. Leslie and Ann looked at each other.  
“Babe-raham Lincoln is on his way, yes,” Leslie said, turning to grin at Ann. “It was Ann’s idea, isn’t she cute?”  
April rolled her eyes. “Can I say no?”  
“No, you have to say yes.”  
Ann chuckled. “No you don’t, April.”  
“Good,” April said straight away. Ann scrunched up her face, slightly offended. “I would have organized a stripper for you,” April continued monotonously. “Since I’m the maid of honour. Self-appointed.”  
Leslie and Ann looked at each other. “I’m happy with that.”  
“Wait, really?” April asked, a slight smile on her face. They nodded, grinning and April had to suppress a grin. “Gross. Cool. Whatever.”

***

By half nine, all of their friends were there. There were a few nurses that Leslie wasn’t that familiar with, but Ann was quick to introduce them properly, and Leslie found that all of them were really lovely people. Even hot Flor came, and Leslie was surprised to get a big hug from her. It was nice, though. Just a few weeks ago, Leslie would have felt insecure meeting Ann’s friends who were taller and hotter than her, but the way Ann had her arm around her lower back reminded her that it was _them_ who was in love. Them.  
“Where is your brown liquor?” Ron asked, making Leslie jump. Ann moved away to stop Andy eating all the red vines, and Leslie gave Ron a look.  
“Didn’t you bring your own?” she asked, confused.  
“I did. It’s all gone now, and _I hate everything_.”  
“You’ve been here _half an hour_!” Leslie sighed. “It’s fine, I bought six bottles for you. They’re under the sink.”  
Ron nodded at her. “You’re a good friend, Knope. I’m glad somebody is going to make you happy for the rest of your life.”  
Leslie’s eyes brightened. “Ron! Are you sure you’re not drunk?”  
Ron’s soft face vanished, and he put on a heavy frown. “Okay. I take it back.”  
He turned and stalked away, and Leslie laughed.  
Looking around, she watched as Tom took control of the music, and wasn’t surprised when The Black Eyed Peas came booming through the speakers, which he had brought himself. He hadn't even noticed the banner was missing, which was a good thing really. She took a second to down the rest of her champagne, before joining Ann on the dancefloor.  
“This song rocks!” Ann yelled, and Leslie had to smile at how cute she was.  
After a minute, however, someone grabbed her arm and she was getting yanked out of the throng. She looked over in confusion. It was Ben.

“Leslie! I’m _freaking out!_ ”  
“What?” Leslie asked, wishing she had another glass of _something_. As if she had read her mind, Donna was at her side with three shots.  
“Knope! Wyatt! Let’s get DRUNK!”  
Ben looked stressed out of his mind, and happily accepted the shot. Donna and Leslie watched in surprise as he downed the whole thing.  
“Yeeurgh!” he exclaimed. Donna and Leslie laughed, before clinking their shots together and downing them. The strong flavour hit the back of her throat immediately, but she was better at handling her alcohol than Ben. She whooped loudly. Donna whooped too, but then Ben was shushing them.  
“GUYS! I need your help!”  
“Okay,” Leslie said quickly. “Err- okay, let’s go outside.”

***

“I want to be back inside,” Donna commented. “It’s cold.”  
“Well I also want to be back inside, dancing with my fiancé, but Ben needs our help. Just look at him!”  
Donna had to agree. Ben looked so stressed he might snap.  
“What’s going on with you, Wyatt?” Donna asked him. Ben sighed loudly.  
“I think Chris might like me. Like- _like_ me.”  
Leslie and Donna looked at each other with wide eyes. The both started yelling, but then Ben was shushing them frantically.  
“Guys! I don’t know what to do!”  
“What happened? I need to know every detail!” Leslie said, grinning.  
Ben rubbed his face, stressed.

_“Chris!” Ben said loudly. Chris had finished saying hi to Leslie and Ann, but then he was grinning again. He jogged over (why? He was only two metres away!) and wrapped Ben in a tight hug.  
“BEN WYATT!”  
“Okay, buddy, maybe don’t do that right down my ear.”  
“I am walking on air tonight! Two of my favourite people on this ENTIRE PLANET!”  
Ben winced, covering his ears, but had to grin at Chris’ energy.  
“I’m happy for them,” Ben said honestly.  
“That’s good,” Chris said. “I know that it might feel strange, given how you did once feel attracted to Leslie. I know you only told me it afterwards, given my rule of employees dating, but it can’t have been easy.”  
“It’s honestly fine,” Ben told him. “I’m fine. I love her as a friend. Very much.”  
Chris nodded, a grin on his face, and the two of them simultaneously took a swig of their respective drinks.  
“I’m over Shauna too, by the way,” Ben added. “Before you ask.”  
“I’m glad to hear it,” Chris said, and gave Ben a look that cut him to the core. Chris was always such an intense person, but right now… it felt different. Chris gave him a smile, and then he was nodding. “I am very glad to hear it.”  
He hesitated, before spotting Jean-Ralphio. He announced his name, and left in a hurry, leaving Ben with panic blossoming in the pit of his stomach. _

***

“Wow,” Donna said, elongating the o.  
“He said he was very glad,” Leslie said, confused. “Isn’t that just Chris being Chris?”  
“You don’t understand, I’ve known Chris for years and I’ve never seen that side of him before,” Ben said, wringing his hands together.  
“Well… do you want something to happen between the two of you?” Leslie asked. “If you don’t mind me asking…”  
“I don’t know,” Ben admitted.  
Donna snorted. “Yes you do! _You_ told him you were over Shauna. Besides, I can see it on your face, Wyatt. You are _smitten_!”  
“Keep your voice down!” Ben hissed, blushing furiously. Leslie grinned.  
“Ben! This is great news!”  
“Is it?” he moaned.  
“I’m going to spend the rest of the night stalking Chris,” Donna told him. “I’ll try and snatch some deets for you.”  
“And I’m going to get you really drunk to distract you!” Leslie announced. Ben smiled weakly.  
“Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.”

When Leslie and Ben reappeared, she saw that the party was in full swing. April was making the most of her new maid of honour status by standing on a chair and downing shots. Andy was laughing as he held the chair, cheering her on. Chris was strutting on the dance floor with a confused Jerry, and Donna immediately beelined towards him and grabbed his arm, leading him away. Leslie felt Ben grimace beside her. Leslie took his arm and dragged him to the kitchen, where Tom and Jean-Ralphio were mixing drinks.  
“Tom.”  
“Leslie!”  
“I need you to make a drink for Ben. A strong one.”  
“You got it, boo-boo!”  
Leslie watched him make a drink, and then Jean-Ralphio was there.  
“L to the E to the S L I-E, you’ve got the most rockin’ party in Pawnee… Indiana!”  
“Thanks Jean-Ralphio,” Leslie said with a slight grimace. “Great rhyming too.”  
That goofball kept talking, but then Leslie turned to see Ann running into the kitchen with her phone.  
“Les! You’ve got a missed call.”  
“Oh!” Leslie said, surprised. “Okay…”

She stepped away from the hubbub to listen to the voicemail. It was from Janitor Bill, somebody she had come to get to know over the years, and always sent Christmas cards.  
_“Uh, hey Leslie. Just calling to tell you that there’s a load of un-filed paperwork on your desk. Might wanna’ sort that, because it’s dated today. Just giving you a heads up.”  
_Leslie cursed, and Ann looked at her, concerned.  
“What’s up?”  
“Ann! I forgot to file some of my paperwork! And it’s due today, it’s for city council stuff and it needs to get done now!”  
Ann looked at her in surprise. “You never forget paperwork!”  
“I know! I must have been so excited for tonight that I forgot,” she whined. “Ugh, I need to sort this.”  
“Leslie, you’ve had like six drinks.”  
“I need to! Look- you stay here and keep the party booming.”  
“But it’s your party too!” Ann protested. Leslie waved her off.  
“No, it’s all for you. My love for you is encompassed in this incredible environment. I’ll be back in like an hour, okay?”  
“Okay, well, don’t be long,” Ann said, leaning in to kiss her. “I feel like I’ve barely seen you all night.”  
Leslie wanted to stay. She wanted to stay with her soon-to-be-wife and do karaoke, taking over from Jean-Ralphio, who was singing “I Touch Myself” _horrendously_ right now. But she had a job to do.  
She kissed Ann again. “I’ll be back soon.” She moved to leave, before turning around. "Don't over-exert your weak wrist!"  
Ann just rolled her eyes fondly.

***

Leslie got a cab to City Hall and drunkenly staggered in. She figured that it wouldn’t take long, but as she skimmed over the notes, she realised that so much of it was scrawled and messy. Leslie cursed herself and started the painstaking task of fixing the mistakes she had made when she was excited for a party she was no longer at.  
The more she worked, the more irritated she got. This was her _bachelorette party_ she was missing, for goodness sake! And for work? Work was meant to be last on the list!  
She grumbled to herself, as she wrote the last sentence, the pen nearly snapping from the force of her pressing it on the page. She was so irritated with herself that she didn’t even hear a soft knocking on the door. It was only when a quiet, musical laugh entered her eardrums that she looked up.

“Ann! What are you doing here?”  
Ann smiled at her and moved over to her, kissing her passionately.  
“You were missing the party. So, I came here to bring the party to you.”  
“Oh my god, you’re so cute. I love you so much.”  
They kissed again, and then their hands were in each other’s hair. When they pulled back, breathless, Ann looked at the work, snorting.  
“Wow. Please tell me you’ve finished. There’s a cab outside with your name on it.”  
“I’m finished,” Leslie promised. “I’m sorry I left.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann told her. “But now it’s done, can we go back?”  
“Of course,” Leslie told her.  
She quickly filed the paperwork, and Ann watched her, smiling.  
“Oh by the way, I think Chris and Ben were dancing together when I left. Donna told me to tell you.”  
Leslie grinned widely. “Oh good.”  
"Also Jerry threw up in a bush. And Andy broke a vase."  
"Great."  
And then she was kissing Ann again. The two of them made their way to the cab, stopping every few seconds to kiss each other. It was the middle of the night outside City Hall, and Ann had brought the party to her. God, Leslie loved her.  
They got in the cab and drove back to the party, but Leslie just felt utter elation whenever Ann was nearby. She loved her friends so much, but having Ann here with her right then, it reminded her of why she wanted to marry her in the first place. Because she was the kindest, most _perfect_ individual in the universe.  
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ann asked, blushing.  
“Because I love you!” Leslie told her blatantly. Ann smiled and leaned in.  
“I love you too. I really, really do. Now let's get so drunk that we do something dangerous.”  
"Not _too_ dangerous," Leslie told her. "You have a weak wrist."  
Ann rolled her eyes again. "That's such a Leslie thing to say."  
They kissed again, and then they got out of the cab. The party was still in full swing, so they rejoined their friends and let the fun night continue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yknow when someone shows you a song and its super personal to them? i love that


	45. Hangover Cure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two hungover cuties. That's it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait to post this but I couldn't be bothered. My updating schedule doesn't exist apparently.

The morning after the bachelorette party was… interesting. Leslie woke up feeling gross with a dry mouth and had to immediately stumble out of bed and hobble to the bathroom. She was throwing up quite violently when Ann joined her in there.  
“I would hold your hair back but I’m actually here to ask if you’re done barfing because I need to barf too,” she groaned. “Oh god.”  
Leslie looked up at her blearily. “Ann Perkins, I would follow you to the ends of the earth but if you think I’m able to move right now and give up my toilet then we have serious problems.”  
She retched again, and the sound made Ann want to throw up herself, so she disappeared. After another five minutes, Leslie sat back. She and Ann had had sex the night before, and less than twelve hours later, she was watching her throw up. Was that true love? Probably.  
She grimaced, looking around, before struggling to stand and flushing the toilet.

She staggered into the living room, where she saw that the front door was open.  
“Ann?” she called. “I think I’ve managed to expel all the terribleness for now, you can- oh, you’re throwing up outside. Cool.”  
Ann reappeared after a minute. “It’s because you wouldn’t let me throw up in the toilet like a good fiancé and I didn’t feel right throwing up in the sink.”  
“I apologise,” Leslie told her. “I knew if I moved then I would barf all over you, so.”  
“Fair enough,” Ann said with a laugh.  
The two of them looked at the state of the house. It was not good at all. Empty bottles, strewn toilet paper… there was even a freshly repaired chair, upside down on the table as the glue dried. Leslie vaguely remembered Andy asking Jean-Ralphio to smash him with the chair, which Jean-Ralphio did. Andy was fine, thank god, but the chair shattered. Ron had swiftly got about fixing it, which he had done after two bottles of whiskey.

“I think we officially had a wild bachelorette party,” Leslie said, turning to grin at Ann.  
“Yeah, but now the house is destroyed,” Ann replied, frowning at the room.  
“Would you rather pass out in bed now or tidy the house?” Leslie asked her. Ann considered.  
“I think I want to sleep for another ten million years, but part of me wants to tidy the house.”  
Leslie looked at her in surprise. “Seriously?”  
Ann took a second- Leslie thought maybe she was dealing with some nausea. She could feel it in her stomach as well, and sort of wanted to just sleep forever.  
“Okay, the urge is gone,” Ann told her. “Let’s get some water and go back to bed.”  
Leslie smiled at her. “Thank god.”

***

When they woke up next, it was a lot easier to move around and function. That didn’t stop them from holding each other for a while.  
“Hey,” Leslie whispered. “Can I ask you something?”  
“Sure,” Ann replied. “As long as it isn’t _can we climb a mountain today_ because the answer is no.”  
Leslie chuckled and squeezed her tighter. “No, I was going to ask if the party did its job with… cheering you up.” She shuffled a little, so she was inches away from her, their noses practically touching. “I know you were really… really sad after everything that happened and you wanted a distraction… I mean I know you said that as you got better you felt better anyway, I know you told me that, but… was it okay?”  
Leslie’s voice was gentle, and so filled with love. Ann smiled at her.  
“It was perfect, Leslie. I had so much fun. And I know we brought it forwards but having you with me during my recovery helped me so much more than the party.” She sighed a little. “When it first happened, I felt so hopeless, but you never left my side or gave up on me.”  
“Of course not,” Leslie whispered. “You’re incredible, and amazing, and I could never ever give up on you because I love you more than anything.”  
Ann laughed. “Succinct as ever. I love you too, baby.”  
“And that party _ruled_. Even though I feel vile now.”  
“Me too,” Ann said with a laugh. “Has anybody else said anything?”  
Leslie checked the group chat. Andy was still asleep, April was cursing her and her family, yadda yadda yadda... Ron was awake and consuming an entire steak- standard. And the rest of them were saying they felt gross, but each of them said they had an amazing night.  
Leslie showed Ann her phone, and Ann laughed.  
“How does Ron do it?!”  
“I don’t know!”  
“Do you think we should tidy up and then slob around the rest of the day?” Ann asked.  
“That’s a good idea,” Leslie said. “I like that idea.”

***

It only took about an hour to tidy the house. Leslie was excellent at getting jobs done, and Ann privately wondered to herself why she didn’t ever keep her old house tidy. Maybe it was because Ann forced her to chill out more in their own space, she had more reason to keep the house to a high standard.  
Once it was to a level that both of them were happy with, they flopped down on the sofa with large glasses of water.  
“Should we order food?” Ann asked. Leslie turned to her.  
“Ann Perkins, that is possibly the best thing you have ever uttered in your life.”  
“What about when I said _will you marry me_?” Ann asked, a smirk on her face. Leslie widened her eyes.  
“ _Food_ , Ann. We _need_ it. Preferably something with lots of carbohydrates that can soak up the alcohol in my stomach and save me from death.”  
Ann laughed. “You got it.”  
Ann grabbed her laptop to find something to eat, and that was when Leslie got a google alert through on her phone.  
“Oh my god!” she exclaimed. “Ron has won an award for a chair he made!”  
“What?” Ann asked, giving her a confused look.  
“I’ve had a Ron Swanson google alert on my phone for seven years and it’s finally paid off!”

Leslie quickly phoned Ron in excitement, and somehow managed to worm her way into going to the awards show the next day.  
“I get to meet Diane, finally, can you believe it?!”  
Ann gave her a slightly confused look. “Does this woman even exist?”  
“She must do- Andy saw her too. Unless it was a group hallucination, which wouldn’t surprise me given the amount of alcohol Ron consumes and how easily led Andy is.”  
Ann snorted. “Well either way I’m sure you’ll have a great time. I regret only giving myself one day to recover in between my plans tomorrow, but I’m sure we’ll be fine.”  
The two of them sat there on the couch, too tired to move. Ann felt herself dozing off as she was leaning against Leslie, who was also dropping off. That was when the doorbell rang, and the two of them jolted awake.  
“That’ll be the-”  
“-the food, yeah.”  
The two of them gave each other a smile, before Leslie leapt up to answer the door. Ann watched in amusement as she grimaced.  
“Ugh- stood up too fast. Ah.”

The two of them felt much better once they had gotten some food in them. Ann had ordered them both a paunch burger meal- the greaser slop fest ultimate cheesy burger with extra fries- and Leslie groaned in appreciation as she took a large bite.  
“I know they’re evil and are killing off Pawneeans, but _oh my_ _god,_ they’re incredible.”  
“I agree,” Ann said, her mouth full of fries. “It’s like a hangover miracle cure.”  
Leslie smirked at her. “I know another hangover cure we could try…”  
Ann laughed loudly. “Leslie. Any vigorous activity and the both of us are going to die, you know that, right?”  
Leslie pouted, before laughing. “You’re probably right.”  
“Not that I don’t want to. If it makes you feel any better, you eating a huge burger in your pyjamas has never looked so beautiful.”  
“Says you!” Leslie replied, grinning. “You beautiful hungover goddess.”  
“Aw... thank you,” Ann said, a smile on her face.

“Last night was so much fun,” Leslie said after another bite. “But I think we shouldn’t have another party like that until the wedding. Or else you might have marry someone else, because I’ll be _dead_.”  
Ann laughed. “You were already drunk when you went to City Hall, and then it just got worse. Why did you do _six_ shots in a row?”  
“Because Tom dared me, Ann! And as a city councilor, I _have_ to do the duties of the people.”  
“By trying to do a handstand in the garden?”  
“Is _that_ why my hands were muddy? Oh god.”  
“Yeah, you had to wash them before we… you know… d _id it_ last night.”  
The two of them laughed loudly, and then Leslie was pointing at her.  
“But to be fair,” she continued. “You weren’t much better. Why did you banish Jean-Ralphio?”  
“As far as I can remember, he kept asking me if I was single. And I told him it was my bachelorette party, and he asked if it was for me and him. I swear that guy needs a reality check.”  
“Did you know he can only feel forty percent of his body?” Leslie told her.  
“That doesn’t surprise me at all.”

***

It got to about ten pm, and the two of them had been lying on the sofa watching TV for the past few hours. Leslie stretched, yawning, and turned to see Ann sleeping next to her, curled up. Leslie smiled widely- she couldn’t wait to be married to this woman. She was going to get a sore neck if she stayed like that, though, so Leslie turned off the TV and shook her shoulder gently.  
“Ann,” she whispered. “Should we go to bed?”  
Ann hummed softly, before yawning. “Hmm… probably.”  
“Do you want me to carry you?” Leslie asked, a small smirk on her face.  
“What, like last night?” Ann asked with a laugh. Leslie felt herself blush.  
“Hey! You _loved_ it.”  
Ann leaned over to kiss her. “I did. I really did.” But then she stood up slowly, stretching. “But if you carry me now I feel like you might barf.”  
“Good point.”  
The two of them returned to bed, smiles on their faces.  
“You know what this means?” Leslie asked as they slipped into bed.  
“What does it mean?” Ann asked her.  
“Not long until the wedding. Until we’re married.”  
Ann found her hand and squeezed it. “I can’t wait.”  
“Neither can I.”  
The two of them smiled in the darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading, especially YOU


	46. Back To You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the woodworking event, Leslie is missing. Ann is very stressed.  
> TW- claustraphobia, panic attack, concussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know *technically* this episode is set at Christmas and Ann already had a whole side plot going but oh well  
> Also I'm sorry the chapters have gone from super chill to really stressful there won't be any crazy situations for a while after this one I promise

Ann got in at around seven. She had a thing with some of her work friends- all of them had nothing but positive responses to the bachelorette party.  
_“That Leslie of yours is great at planning!”_ One of them- Marie- had said. _“Has she considered being a party planner?”  
_Ann had laughed. _“She wants to be the President.”  
“Well!” _Marie said, surprised. _“That’s… that’s great!”  
_Ann laughed at the memory as she got shut the door and headed to the couch, sitting down and sighing. Everybody always had the same expression on their face when she told people her fiancé wanted to be the President. But she firmly believed it would happen- she was going to be First Lady Perkins-Knope and that was a fact. And then Ben would be President after Leslie and she would hate him for four years until she rightfully won it back. It would probably go something like that.

It was still early- more than enough time for Leslie to be back from that weird woodworking thing. Ann put the TV on for a little while, but quickly realised that she was pretty tired.  
She had started back at work doing short shifts, because of her recovery, but that added with going out for lunch today and the bachelorette party… she was exhausted. Maybe she would just turn in early, Leslie would understand.  
She shot Leslie a text as she got changed and slipped into bed. She was sure she wouldn’t mind. She didn’t reply straight away like usual, but Ann didn’t think much of it. She was at a woodworking show, maybe Ron was showing her how to varnish mahogany or something. Could you varnish mahogany? Ann wasn’t sure, but there was a reason she hadn’t accompanied the three of them there. Instead she fell asleep quickly and easily.

***

Ann woke up at five am. She just knew something was wrong, and her suspicions were unfortunately confirmed when she felt around the bed and couldn’t feel Leslie beside her. She sat up, instantly worried, and fumbled for her phone. There were a few texts from Leslie, sent the night before.

**Okay so Tammy II is here- I need to distract her to save Ron and Diane’s relationship. (sent 9:08pm)**

**Not sure how long that will take since she’s proven many times before to be a total psychopath. (sent 9:09pm)**

**Love you! (sent 9:09pm)**

Ann felt her breath catch in her throat. If Tammy II was involved, that was never a good sign. She quickly pulled up Ron’s contact in her phone and hit call.  
It rang for a few seconds before Ron answered.  
_“Perkins? It’s five in the morning, why are you calling me?”  
_“Ron! Please tell me Leslie is with you!”  
The short pause of silence only made her feel one million times worse.  
_“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that as she isn’t here with me. She didn’t come home last night?”  
_“No, I was asleep so I only just realised she isn’t here. Shit. She was with Tammy, wasn’t she?”  
“ _She was.”_ She heard talking down the other end- Ron was obviously saying something to Diane. Then there was some scrabbling. _“I’ll come and pick you up and we can search.”_  
Ann felt a twist in her gut. “Okay. I’ll be ready.”

***

When Ron arrived, Ann ran out to the car- an unfamiliar one, so it must be Diane’s- and hopped into the passenger seat. She hadn’t even strapped in when Ron started the car again and they were speeding down the road.  
“Have you heard anything from Tammy?” Ann asked him.  
“Not a word. My car hasn’t been returned either, so I assume one of them has it.”  
“You don’t think she’s done something to her, do you?” Ann asked him, her heart rate quickening.  
“It’s unclear. Whatever has happened, Tammy wants to get to me no matter what. In fact, she might have planned for us to come looking. She thinks that she can control me.”  
Ann’s face was set in a hard frown. Ron glanced at her. Before he could speak, however, his phone went off. He pulled over and got it out of his pocket. Ann recognized the number.  
“That’s the police department,” she told him. _“Answer it!”_  
She knew that Ron was wondering how they got his phone number, but she didn’t care. If that phone call held answers about where her fiancé was, she was getting them right now.  
Ron answered the phone, and Ann strained to listen. Ron listened for a second, before grunting.  
“Noted. I’ll be there shortly.” He hung up before turning to Ann. “They’ve found my car. And Tammy.”

***

They arrived, and Ann leapt out of the car and ran over to the police officer, Ron close behind her. She noticed straight away that Tammy was at the side of the road, handcuffed. She turned and was going to stalk over to her when Ron grabbed her arm. Instead he turned to the police officer.  
“Ron Swanson?” the officer asked. Ron nodded. “Yeah, we caught her driving erratically. Ran the plate through the system and found you.”  
“Any sign of a passenger?” Ann asked, cutting across them, her voice desperate. Before anyone could say anything, there was some thumping coming from the boot of the car.  
“ANN!” a muffled voice yelled, and Ann instantly recognized it as her fiancé. She and Ron looked at each other, wide-eyed, before Ann was over there in a flash and popping the trunk and immediately letting out a loud sigh of relief.  
Leslie blinked up at them from in the boot. _“Help.”_  
Ann was quick to get her hands in the boot and help her sit up. Her hair was a mess, there was a bruise on her head, and she looked like she’d been crying. Ann felt her heart break, but all she could hear was Tammy laughing from behind them. That suddenly stopped, however, when Ron stormed over to Tammy and the police officer. Some words were exchanged- some of them loud- and then Tammy was getting led away with a police officer, Ron hot at her heels, the both of them yelling.

Ann’s hands were everywhere, checking over Leslie to make sure she was alright, which she appeared to be. Then she was kissing her face over and over again and wrapping her arms around her. Leslie leaned into the touch.  
“I was so worried,” Ann whispered. “I didn’t know what to think. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were gone.”  
Leslie surprised Ann when she didn’t reply. Then Ann felt her stomach sink down to her shoes when her fiancé’s breathing started to increase rapidly. Ann moved to get right next to her, the two of them sitting on the back of the car, and put her hand on her shoulder.  
“Leslie.”  
“Ann- I-”  
“Baby, you need to breathe.”  
She tried. It didn’t seem to work. Ann was breathing in and out, deeply, trying to see if that would help her.  
“Come on, you can do it,” Ann said gently. “In and out.”  
Leslie took some attempts at a shaky gasp, but they were shallow. Ann was going to say something to her, but suddenly Leslie was collapsing against Ann. Ann caught her quickly, holding her up as she was limp against her. She was confused for a split-second, until she quickly realised Leslie had passed out, and got a rush of panic.  
“Shit,” Ann whispered. “Hey. Leslie?”  
No response. She held Leslie against her, waiting for her to wake up. It was only a few seconds before that happened, with Leslie jolting against her and _finally_ taking a deep breath. Ann sighed in relief.  
“There you are,” Ann said softly, rubbing her back. “Don’t think, just breathe.”  
Leslie, thankfully, did as she said. Ann listened as she breathed in deeply for a good ten seconds, then she was moving off from where she had been leaning against Ann.  
“Oh god… did I pass out?”  
“Yeah,” Ann replied quietly, making sure to keep her voice calm. “Are you okay?”  
“I... think so.”  
It had been a long time since that had happened, and Ann was just glad that, yet again, she had been there for her. It hadn’t been as dramatic as last time, but it was worrying nonetheless.  
“I feel sick and dizzy,” Leslie admitted now she was sitting up. “Do you think that might be the hangover still? No, that was yesterday. Or do you think it’s a combination of factors- hangover included?”

Ann knew she was rambling because she was stressed, and she needed to calm down. “Come here,” she murmured.  
Leslie moved to lean against Ann, wrapping her arms around her middle in a hug. Ann was happy to hold her for as long as she needed. After a few minutes of quiet, Ron reappeared.  
“What’s the verdict, Perkins? Are we going to a hospital?”  
Ann felt Leslie stiffen beside her, and she looked up at Ron and shook her head. “I think I’ve got this one.”  
Ron nodded. “Alright. Also they found these in the back of the car." He handed Ann Leslie's purse and phone. "Tammy has gone into police custody. I’ve also told Diane about the situation.”  
“Okay,” Ann breathed out. Ron’s eyes flickered to Leslie, who wasn’t looking at him. Ann looked down at her and back up and gave Ron a grimace. Ron rubbed the back of his neck.  
“I’ll drive you back when you’re ready.”  
Ron’s voice was awkward and stilted. Ann knew he was worried about his best friend, who currently had her head buried in Ann’s shoulder- Ann caught how he was looking at her. She swallowed before nodding.  
“Thank you, Ron.” Then she turned to Leslie. “Do you still feel sick, honey? Leslie?”  
Leslie snapped out of it. “Yeah, but it's not as bad now,” she replied. “And I'm only a little dizzy.” Then she looked up at Ron, as if she was noticing him for the first time. “Hey, Ron.”  
Ron nodded to her. “Hello, Leslie.”  
Ann checked her eyes. They weren’t unfocused, but she was worried nonetheless.  
“Can we go home now?” Leslie asked tiredly. Ann nodded.  
“Of course, honey. We can go home now.”

***

“I’m sorry about what happened.”  
Ann and Leslie were on one sofa. Leslie had an ice pack on her head, and the two of them were looking at Ron, who was sat across from them with an impossibly sad look on his face. Leslie shook her head.  
“Don’t be. Besides, you're my friend. It’s not _your_ fault she tried to kidnap me.”  
Ann winced, and Leslie turned to give her an apologetic look. Ann was quite glad of that, though, that was the first time she had reacted to anything other than direct conversation since they had found her. Ann was still worried, though. She handed Leslie the glass of water on the coffee table and held her ice pack in place as she drank deeply.  
“How are you feeling now?” Ann asked her. Leslie finished the water with a loud gulp.  
“Better, thank you.”  
Ron stood up. “I’ll leave you to it.” He moved to walk to the door, but not before he patted Leslie’s shoulder. Leslie smiled up at him.  
“Thanks, Ron. Don’t worry about me.”  
"Don't boss me around, Knope. You're just the deputy."  
"Until I leapfrog your job and become your boss," Leslie reminded him with a grin.  
Ron just hummed, a soft look in his eye, before giving the two of them a nod. Then he left, and Ann found herself feeling quite sorry for him. It was always disconcerting when Ron showed emotion- and that just made Ann feel even worse about the whole situation. Leslie seemed to catch it too, because she made a sound of sympathy as he shut the door.

“He’ll be fine, Les,” Ann said quickly. Leslie sighed.  
“I know. It isn’t his fault.” She paused, before moving to lean against Ann. “It was so scary.”  
“I know, honey” Ann replied instantly. “You’re so brave.”  
“No I’m not,” Leslie said, her voice breaking. “I fainted. I’m a mess.”  
“You’re _not_ ,” Ann quickly said, hating that she had to say this to Leslie every time she had a wobble. She wished Leslie would know how amazing she was, and that it was okay to have bad days, or to react a certain way. “You’re not a mess. You’re _not_.”  
“I’m… I’m not?”  
“You have every right to be terrified, I can’t imagine what that was like.” Ann took a deep breath. “I was really worried. Now I know how you felt when I had my accident. I was so scared, Leslie.”  
Ann found herself crying, then, and Leslie looked at her in horror. She was quickly discarding the ice pack to use both hands to wipe Ann’s face gently.  
“Oh, beautiful Ann. _Please_ don’t cry.”  
“I can’t help it, I was so scared,” Ann said through the sobs. The two of them hugged tightly.  
“I just want you to know,” Leslie murmured. “While I was in the car boot, I just wanted to get back to you. I didn’t want you to be worried for me.”  
“Oh, Leslie,” Ann told her. “I was so worried, but it’s not your fault. I'm just so sorry I went to sleep and didn't realise you were gone.”  
"Not your fault, Ann! You need your rest!"   
Ann laughed, and kissed her.

The two of them sat in silence for a while, embracing each other tightly.  
“I love you,” Leslie whispered.  
“I love you too,” Ann replied. She moved to pick up the ice pack, replacing it on her head in such a loving gesture that Leslie gave a shaky, teary laugh. The two of them sat back on the sofa, both exhausted from everything that had happened.  
Ann checked her watch- it was barely ten in the morning and she already wanted to go to bed. It had been an emotional and stressful couple of hours.  
“Can we watch something?” Leslie asked her. Ann nodded, smiling at her. That was a good idea- something to do while Ann made sure Leslie waited before she slept. She was slightly concussed, and Ann didn’t want to risk something else happening.  
“What do you want to watch?” Ann asked Leslie, who snuggled down, leaning against her, and Ann felt her heart melt.  
“Anything,” Leslie told her.  
Ann kissed the top of her head. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	47. Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Leslie realise something.  
> TW- talk of PTSD, panic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, this one is a little sad more than anything. The one after is filled with fun.

Ann’s head had been filled with thoughts. Maybe it was because sleeping was hard in general recently, so for hours after dark she would lie and think of every possible scenario or worry she had in great detail, over and over… She knew that, sometimes, Leslie was awake too. It felt like the both of them were holding their breath. Quite often, Ann snuggled closer to Leslie, who would do the same. Neither of them knew how to talk about whatever was going on, and it was starting to weigh down on the both of them.  
But also, there were good thoughts. Ever since Ann had looked after Diane’s, the thought of a child in the house made her happy. So happy.  
And she knew Leslie was up for it as well, but she wondered if she should approach the subject again. God knows, Leslie needed a distraction. They both did, really, as neither of them had been doing too well the past week. Leslie’s encounter with Tammy had shaken both women to the core, and Ann knew Leslie was struggling more than she let on. It had been a hard couple of months really.  
Ann rubbed her wrist absently, remembering when it used to be agony to do so.  
Leslie had perked up the other day after that garbage round situation- when she excitedly told Ann about it, she had loved to see her fiancé light up just talking about smashing the glass ceiling, or however she phrased it. Maybe she had used a garbage pun.

Ann put her key in the lock and opened the door, feeling a slight rush of happiness at the thought of being home. She loved being back at work, obviously, but there was a great comfort in the feeling of coming home after a long day.  
It was nine o’clock, and Ann tried to shake off her worries as she stepped over the threshold and shut the door behind her. She was greeted by the familiar sight of Leslie at the table doing work, but Ann realised that she was asleep with her head on a pile of papers, snoring softly.  
Ann smiled widely. Dropping her bag, she walked past Leslie, pausing briefly to stroke her hair, smiling, before she went into the kitchen, looking for food. After a second, she spotted Leslie jerking awake out of the corner of her eye. She yawned loudly, before turning around. Ann turned around too, and the two of them smiled at each other.

“Hi,” Leslie said sleepily. “How was work?”  
“It was… tiring. But fine. What about you?”  
“Yeah, it was busy,” Leslie told her. “I guess I had to have a nap when I got in.”  
Ann snorted as she got a microwave lasagna out the fridge. “A nap on top of a pile of work?”  
“It got me through college, Ann,” Leslie said with a laugh, before standing and stretching.  
“Fair enough. Have you eaten?”  
“Yeah,” Leslie replied, moving over to wrap her arms around Ann’s back. Ann leaned into the touch, smiling softly. Leslie rested her head on Ann’s shoulder, yawning again.  
“Hey, can I talk to you about something?” Ann asked, thinking about having kids again.  
“What is it?”  
But then Leslie was sleepily leaning against her, and Ann knew it wasn’t the right time.  
“Actually, it doesn’t matter,” Ann said with a smile just as the microwave beeped. “It can wait until you’re not half asleep.”  
“I’m fine, I-” Leslie yawned violently, making Ann laugh.  
“Okay, sure. Why don’t you go get ready for bed? I’ll come through in a minute.”  
Leslie just nodded, before sleepily walking away. Ann felt a pang in her chest. That night, Leslie finally slept, but Ann lay awake for hours.

***

Another night, Leslie and Ann were kissing deeply. It had been the first night in a while that either of them had the time to spend time together like this, and Ann relished the feeling of it. It was getting intense, and Ann unbuttoned Leslie’s top slowly. Leslie responded by deepening the kiss, her hands coming around Ann’s back. But after a few seconds, it came to a jarring stop when Leslie broke the kiss and sat backwards, gasping.  
“Leslie?” Ann asked, worried. “Are you-”  
“Can we stop?” Leslie begged, tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”  
“Of course we can stop,” Ann told her immediately. “Are you okay?”  
Leslie didn’t answer at first, and Ann felt a rush of worry. It occurred to her then that they hadn’t had sex, or done anything of the sort, since Leslie’s run in with Tammy the other week.  
“I don’t know,” Leslie told her. “Can we turn the light on?” she said desperately. “Please?”  
Ann leapt off the bed and turned the light on, and she saw Leslie relax a little. Ann sat back down on the bed and grabbed Leslie’s hand, rubbing circles across her palm with her thumb.  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie said again.  
“Don’t be sorry,” Ann told her. “I think I know why this is happening. Do you?”  
Leslie nodded, wiping her eyes. “I think so too."  
“You know…” Ann said softly, squeezing her hand. “I think I know how you’re feeling. Sort of, anyway. Sometimes… sometimes when I think about the car crash, I get flashbacks. And it…” Ann found herself letting go of Leslie’s hand, almost feeling the need to close herself off. “It really… really scares me.”  
Just talking about it made her body change, and Leslie noticed that shift instantly. Now she was the one to grab Ann’s hand. The two of them looked at each other, smiling sadly. Ann sniffed, wiping some tears away from her eyes. That simple action made Leslie feel so, so sad, and she pulled Ann in for a hug, squeezing her tightly.

“I know you haven’t been sleeping well,” Ann continued.  
“You only know that because you haven’t been sleeping either,” Leslie said softly. "I wanted to talk to you about it, when I knew we were both awake. I just didn't know how, I'm so sorry...”  
Leslie wiped her face, and Ann let in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry too. I felt the exact same. God, I'm sorry."  
"I think we both didn't know what to do," Leslie replied. "Which is weird for me."  
“I know.”  
“I just feel bad,” Leslie said gently. “You’ve helped me become more open, but I just didn't know what to say.”  
“Neither did I, really. I didn’t even really realise it was a problem at first,” Ann admitted. “I don’t know how to explain it. I was so focused on the physical recovery, and then we’ve been really busy and then I was worrying about you… I’m sorry.”  
Ann sounded heartbroken, and Leslie squeezed her tighter.  
“Don’t say sorry,” Leslie whispered. “I know. We both need help, I think.”  
Ann felt a rush of love for Leslie. Just hearing her say that made her feel better.  
“I think you’re right. Tomorrow I’ll ask Chris for his therapist’s number.”  
“That’s a really good idea. I love you.”  
"I love you too."  
The two of them pulled apart, before kissing each other gently.  
“Do you think you can sleep?” Leslie asked Ann.  
“Do _you_?”  
Leslie laughed. “Ann, you beautiful tropical fish. I asked you first.”

The two of them lay down together, holding each other. It might have been hard to sleep that night, but both of them knew that they were loved unconditionally by the other, and that made things just that little bit easier. And they were going to get therapy, and it was going to help them. But for now, they lay together in the dark.   
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a little hard at the minute to write things because my mental health isn't great but I love this fic and it isn't going anywhere. That said, thank you for reading <33


	48. Away- Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann take a much needed vacation.

Leslie was in her office, her keyboard clacking furiously as she sent a weekly update to her Mother, Marlene Griggs-Knope. Ann’s mother, Sharon Perkins, was also updated. It covered the events of the week, some in more detail than others. There had been a park emergency involving a possum on Tuesday. Leslie had a good council meeting on Thursday. Ann had stopped someone choking on Friday.  
Friday was also the day they went to therapy and had been the past two weeks. Leslie left the intimate details out of that particular area, but she could inform the women that it was going well. Very well, in fact. Leslie could already feel a difference in her psyche, and she was over-the-moon at the fact that Ann was sleeping better. It had been the right decision.

There was a knocking at the door. Leslie only knew one person- aside from maybe Ben- who was polite enough to knock, and she also happened to be the only person where Leslie didn’t need her to knock.  
“Come in,” Leslie said with a smile, just as she sent the news blast to their parents. Ann was always CC’d in the email, something confirmed by the loud notification sound as Ann walked through the door.  
“That’ll be the newsletter thing?” Ann said with a smile. Leslie nodded at her, smiling back. She had seen Ann this morning, obviously, but she looked so beautiful when she walked into her office.  
“Yeah,” Leslie replied. “Wow, you’re so pretty.”  
Ann gave her a cheeky smile before sitting down on the other side of the desk.  
“Oh!” Leslie said, surprised. “How formal. Is there anything I can help you with, _Ms Perkins_?”  
Ann smiled again. “Well, _Councilor Knope,_ I was thinking about what Dr Nygard said to us last time. About us taking a break from work.”  
Leslie licked her lips. Ah yes. That was a thing that was said. Leslie had dismissed that at first, but the more she thought about it… she wanted to do everything she could to help Ann. And herself, obviously. Maybe taking a break was the thing they needed to do- especially since it was what the doctor ordered.

“We should.”  
Ann looked at her in surprise, her face breaking into a grin. “Leslie? Have you been _replaced_?!”  
“No! I know we have the honeymoon, but that’s still weeks away, Ann. Things are getting hectic planning the wedding, and our jobs… and since Dr Nygard said to do it, it might be nice to have a last weekend away together before every weekend is full.”  
Ann nodded. “That’s a point.”  
Leslie stood and walked around the desk. Ann stood too. “The wedding is only three weeks away, remember”  
That made Ann tingle with delight. Only _three weeks_ until they were married.  
She nudged Leslie with her hip. “Look at you, taking a break from work. Therapy has done you some good.”  
“And you, Ann.”  
They smiled at each other, leaning in for a passionate kiss. Just as they did, Andy burst into the room.  
“Hey Leslie, my hand is stuck in the- AHH! SORRY!”  
Leslie just rolled her eyes fondly. Nobody knocked but Ann.

***  
“Have you got everything you need?” Ann asked. Leslie smirked at her.  
“Ann Perkins. Are you even asking me that question? If anything, I am _overprepared_.”  
Ann took a brief glance at her suitcase. “Leslie. Why do you have _five_ pairs of underwear? We’re going for one weekend!”  
“I haven’t been to your parents’ cabin before, Ann! What if it’s really muddy outside and I fall over, and it seeps into my pants?!”  
“An incredibly specific situation that will never happen.”  
“Fine. I’ll take four pairs. Only one emergency one.”  
“You’re not going to pee your pants, Leslie.”  
“Fine! Two pairs!”  
“Good.”  
“I’ve texted April. She said she and Andy are happy to check on the house in a few days, as long as I let them steal whatever they want.” Ann frowned, and Leslie laughed. “I think that’s her way of saying she’s happy to housesit until we’re back.”  
“It’s three days,” Ann moaned to herself. “She could have burnt it down by then.”  
“She wouldn’t do that to us!” Leslie reminded her. “But maybe only because it’s the place she met Andy for the first time. I don’t think we have anything to do with it.”  
“Oh god.”

The two of them loaded up the car before starting the almost ten-hour drive to Virginia, where Ann’s parents’ cabin was based. Leslie was excited- she had split the drive into shifts, colour-coded and put into the travel binder, which Ann currently had on her knee. The drive went really well, the two of them singing to Leslie’s journey playlist and laughing. They really could talk about anything.  
But when Leslie took over driving again for her final shift, when they were a mere two hours away, she could tell Ann was sleepy. She took one hand off the wheel to squeeze her hand.  
“Get some sleep. I’ll wake you when we’ve arrived.”  
“You sure?” Ann asked with a yawn.  
“Of course.”  
Ann sighed softly. "Thank you."  
"No problem."  
Ann fell asleep, and Leslie turned the music right down. It was quite peaceful, driving down long, winding roads with her fiancé peacefully sleeping beside her. Leslie was glad- any time she saw Ann sleeping, it was a victory. They were getting through this together. It had been so long since she had a normal sleep schedule.  
She took her eyes off the road for a second again just to smile at her. She loved her so much.

***

“Ann? Wake up, sleepyhead. We’re here.”  
Ann woke up to her fiancé’s impossibly gentle voice. She smiled at her tiredly.  
“We’re here?”  
“Sure are! Unless we’ve become terribly lost and we inevitably starve to death. But I think I see the cabin up that hill!”  
Ann stretched, before looking out the window. She felt a rush of nostalgia just looking at the cabin. Her parents had owned it for years- they had bought it cheap and her Dad had fixed it up, and it still looked beautiful to this day. She had spent many happy holidays here. It also occurred to her that she had never brought a partner up here- it had felt too special. But now, the thought of not sharing all her special moments with Leslie was too strange.  
“It looks beautiful,” Leslie told her, smiling widely. Ann grinned.  
“Let’s get out the car and I can show you it up close.”  
They got out the car, both of them stretching madly, before retrieving the suitcases and walking up the hill, hand in hand.  
“This landscape is stunning,” Leslie said, her voice filled with awe. A vast expanse of trees and hills- it really was breathtaking. Ann never got used to it. “Aw, Ron would love it here.”  
“Forgive me for not inviting your _boss_ to our couple’s getaway,” Ann said with a laugh. Leslie rolled her eyes fondly.  
“He’s a best friend before he’s a boss, but point taken. Although, knowing Ron, he’d disappear into the woods and we wouldn’t see him for the entire trip.”

They got to the front door, and Leslie’s breath caught a little. The landscape was utterly stunning, but there was something so special about a quaint, rustic cabin hidden amongst all this nature. She could smell the trees, feel the fresh air… she felt better already.  
“It’s so cute,” she said, her voice quivering with emotion. Ann laughed, leaning over to kiss the side of Leslie’s head.  
“I didn’t expect you to cry this soon, but it’s sweet.”  
“Ann! I can’t wait to spend three days here with you!”  
They opened the door, the smell of the wood filling Leslie’s nostrils. They put their suitcases in the hall, and Ann gave her a quick tour of the cabin.  
There was a little living area, with a real log fire, a kitchen that looked like something out of a fairytale cottage, a little bathroom, and then two bedrooms. One of them was smaller than the other, and Ann explained that that had been her bedroom as a child. Leslie spotted a child’s drawing pinned to the wall.  
“Did you draw this?” she asked softly. Ann nodded.  
“Yeah, it’s me in the cabin.”  
Leslie traced the crude crayon with her finger, the bright colours and scribbles making her emotional again. “It’s adorable, Ann.”  
Ann laughed. “Do you want to see our bedroom?”

***

The room had windows down one side of it, meaning that the afternoon light shone in. It was a little foggy outside, but Leslie could see a clear view of the trees just from the doorway. The rest of the room was filled with the rustic aesthetic- even down to a wall hanging on the wall that matched the bedspread. It was a lovely room.  
“I love it,” Leslie said, turning to Ann with a grin on her face. “This was a good idea.”  
“It was,” Ann agreed. She had a soft look in her eye.  
“Should we make dinner?” Leslie asked casually.  
“We could,” Ann mused. “Or we could… stay in here for a while. If you want.”  
Leslie caught her drift instantly. She had been so wound up lately, but being here with Ann, after two weeks of successful therapy under her belt… she already felt way more relaxed.  
“We can see how it goes,” Ann whispered. “And if you want to stop, we can.”  
Leslie responded by kissing Ann’s neck, and Ann chuckled a little. The two of them made their way to the bed.  
“I love you,” Leslie said between breaths. “So much.”  
“I love you too,” Ann replied, already feeling the arousal. Leslie could tell, so she took control- much to Ann's delight- and, for the first time in a while, she felt totally free. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!


	49. Away- Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The vacation continues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've written ahead a couple of chapters so there won't be a few days where it's totally dead and then I do like 3 at once lol I'm sorry I keep doing that

“Well I enjoyed that _very_ much.”  
“I’m so glad. I didn’t know if it was going to be too much for you at one point.”  
“ _Are you kidding?_ It was incredible.” Ann leaned over to kiss Leslie gently. “Well, it _always_ is, but you know what I mean.”  
“I do.”  
They were lying on the bed, panting.  
“And listen,” Ann said. “Just because you felt fine to do it then, I know that doesn’t mean you always want to or anything. There’s no pressure for _anything_ this weekend, okay?”  
Leslie turned and gave Ann a smile. “Thank you, I love you. I do think it was just that one time it was too much for me, I’m not sure. I hadn’t felt in the mood until today, so I don’t know how I’ll be after this. But thank you, it means a lot.”

***

The two of them left the bedroom after a while. It was officially evening now, so Ann set about finding something for them to cook while Leslie tried to work out the log fire.  
“I’m an excellent camper, Ann!” she called from the other room. “A cabin is easier than a tent, by far, so I _won’t_ burn it down!”  
“That’s good to know!” Ann called back, laughing. They were having burgers for tea- yet another reason why Ron would want to be here, and Ann prepared them with a smile on her face.  
She really did feel more relaxed here. It was like all their worries were washing away for a while. She knew Leslie would tell her off for doing so, but she was kicking herself a little for not getting therapy sooner. She had been scared, but she was already starting to feel the benefits. There was no shame in it, she kept telling herself. And it was working.

“Ann!” Leslie said excitedly, running into the kitchen. “Guess who got the fire going?!”  
“I guess _Leslie_ ,” Ann said with a smile, turning around to plant a kiss on her lips.  
“I have _all_ the badges for wilderness situations,” Leslie continued. “I am a _Pawnee Goddess_ , after all.”  
“That you are.”  
“And so are you! Ooh, these burgers smell amazing.”  
“Thank you!”  
The two of them ate in the living room, watching the roaring fire.  
“I’m proud of us,” Leslie told Ann. “Look how far we’ve come since you kissed me in the Snakehole.”  
Ann grimaced. “ _Maybe_ don’t phrase it like that.”  
“You know what I mean! But now we’re engaged. We love each other. I mean, I always loved you, but we’re _in love.”  
_“Hell yeah.” _  
_ “And we’re getting married. We’re supportive of each other and we have plans for the future. Plans for the both of us, not just my plans to become the President.”  
“Big plans,” Ann said. “Which reminds me… I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something for a while.”  
“What is it?” Leslie asked.  
“Remember when I looked after Diane’s kids?”  
Leslie remembered that quite well. While she had been doing garbage with April, Ann had accidentally facilitated a terrible haircut for those poor kids. “Yeah?”  
“Well… it made me really want a baby. Like… soon.”  
Leslie nodded. “I couldn’t agree more. After the wedding, we can make plans. In fact, I have a "Perkins/Knope Baby" binder back at the house.”  
Ann raised an eyebrow. “You _do_?”  
“Of course! Chapter Three, _baby names_ , is my personal favourite. I wanted to call the baby Ann, but then I realised that you might not want that. So, I was thinking maybe Joe or Ruth...”  
Ann watched Leslie as she continued to talk avidly about the baby binder, a soft smile on her face. Why had she ever been scared about sharing this with her? She needed to remember that, quite a lot of the time, Leslie was more on board with Ann than even Ann was.

***

They fell asleep easily that night. And when Leslie woke, at just past six in the morning, she looked out at the landscape and felt a sea of calm. Ann was asleep, with one arm draped across Leslie’s side, and Leslie felt so content to just lie there and be happy.

For about five minutes.

“Ann,” Leslie whispered, turning to face her. Ann’s nose wrinkled in that adorable way it does, and she woke up slowly.  
“What is it?” she murmured. “I was having a really good dream about Channing Tatum.”  
“You _were_?!” Leslie asked. “Was Joe Biden in it?”  
“Shockingly, no,” Ann replied with a chuckle.  
“Shame. Anyway, we should go for a walk! This expanse of nature is like a giant park, don’t you think?”  
“How about we lie here for a little longer,” Ann countered. “I need at least another half hour.”  
“Fine,” Leslie agreed.  
She snuggled back down and lay there, waiting, as Ann dozed. When it hit half an hour, she shot out of bed and to the bathroom. Ann groaned.  
“Remind me why I got engaged to a morning person?” she called.  
_“Because I’m great!”_ came the reply from the bathroom.

***

Just under an hour later and Leslie and Ann were walking through the woods, arm in arm. Leslie had a big coat on, as it was quite chilly where they were, and Leslie commented that she could never be _too_ prepared. Ann was regretting just bringing a normal coat, but since she had laughed at Leslie’s impeccable preparation skills, she said nothing of it. They did manage to dig out wooly hats in the little cupboard by the door. Once they were on, Leslie laughed and said that they looked like the protagonists in one of those crappy TV movies Ann loved.  
“It’s cute!” she added, after Ann hit her shoulder gently. “Just _l_ _ook at your hat._ " She sighed wistfully. "Ann Perkins, you are the cutest woman alive. And the hottest.”  
“Oh yeah?” Ann asked, blushing slightly.  
_“Yeah.”_  
They walked for about ten minutes, Ann taking Leslie down the familiar route. The two of them stopped by the edge of the hill and looked out at the expanse. It truly was breathtaking. Ann looked at Leslie as she looked out over the hills.  
“Wow,” Leslie whispered. “This is incredible. I can’t believe you had this view as a kid.”  
“I know right?” Ann replied, a smile on her face. She looked out too, taking it in. “I’m so glad you like it. I’d never brought anyone I’d dated up here before, it was always my little piece of happiness, away from everything else. But that’s changed now.”  
Ann turned to look back at Leslie and wasn’t surprised to see that her girlfriend was wiping tears off her face.  
“Ann Perkins. I love you.”  
“I love you too,” Ann said with a laugh. Then she shivered, and Leslie looked at her funny.  
"What was that?"  
"Nothing."  
"ANN."  
“Ugh, fine. I'm a little cold.”  
Leslie unzipped her coat and gestured for Ann to hug her. Ann did, and then Leslie wrapped her coat around the both of them.  
“I thought you’d tell me off for not packing appropriately,” Ann said into Leslie’s chest.  
“Are you talking to my boobs?” Leslie asked, making Ann laugh, which vibrated up through Leslie. “My boobs could never tell you off, Ann. That would be illegal.”

***

The holiday went on- filled with laughter and love. Leslie and Ann found themselves feeling utterly relaxed, and it was such a joy to spend time together just the two of them. Leslie loved her friends, and she loved Pawnee, but she really relished the time with just her and Ann. That was why she knew it was going to work with them when they first started seeing each other, deep down. Because she got on so well with Ann that being with her was so easy. She had never, _ever_ had that before with somebody she had dated. There was always a barrier in the way. It wasn’t like that with Ann. Not once.

On the last night of the trip, Leslie was lying across the sofa doing a crossword puzzle- something she hadn’t done in a long time. Ann was sitting cross-legged by the fire, playing solitaire with an old deck of cards she found on the bookcase. Her father had showed her how to play when she was a child, and she really enjoyed it.  
Leslie glanced up from her puzzle and smiled at the sight of her fiancé, sitting by the fire and lost in her own little world. Leslie hated to break it. In fact, she wouldn’t. She often felt the need to break the silence, or move onto the next thing, but not then. No, she was content to watch Ann and love her from a short distance away.

Ann looked up at her then, and the spell was broken. But not in a bad way. Leslie smiled at her, and Ann blushed.  
“Were you looking at me?”  
“Maybe,” Leslie replied coyly.  
“Les!” Ann whined.  
“Okay fine, I was. You’re so beautiful, I can’t help it!”  
“Shut up,” Ann said fondly, standing and stretching. She walked over to the sofa, and Leslie put her puzzle on the coffee table, moving her legs so Ann could sit beside her. The two of them looked into the fire. Leslie moved slightly so Ann could lean on her shoulder.  
“This has been wonderful,” she whispered. Ann nodded.  
“It really has. I love you so much, Leslie.”  
“I love you too, Ann. I really, really love you.”  
Ann smiled at the familiar phrase, snuggling in closer. Leslie kissed her forehead. “I guess it goes back to normal tomorrow, huh.”  
“I suppose it does,” Leslie said with a soft sigh. “But I’ve loved this. And not long until the wedding.”  
“Yeah,” Ann agreed. “We have things to look forward to.”  
“And even if we didn’t, I’d still be happy. With you.”  
They sat by the fire together for the rest of the evening and, in that moment, they were perfectly happy.


	50. Final Countdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding prep!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this one isn't the best haha

It had been four days since Leslie and Ann had gotten back from their getaway, and now it was officially the final countdown until the wedding. Every spare moment that wasn’t working, therapy or sleeping was spent planning, or sorting, or checking, or fixing. Ann hadn’t realised there would even _be_ this much work, whereas Leslie was in her element. She had bought a headset, and was quite happy using it nearly every second of the waking day. Ann was surprised she hadn’t scheduled in their private time together- and part of her was almost disappointed that she hadn’t.

It had been a busy few days. In the very short and brief quiet moments, usually right before they went to sleep, they would give each other a short breakdown of the day- how they had felt, and whether or not there was anything they needed to discuss. One night, Leslie seemed almost nervous to share.  
“I had a weird moment today,” Leslie admitted after some prodding. “I felt like I wasn’t as on top of it as I usually am. It made me really anxious.”  
“Aw, babe,” Ann soothed.  
“I just worry that maybe therapy isn’t working,” Leslie said in a rush. Ann sighed inwardly. That was, unfortunately, quite a staple Leslie thing to do. Once one thing went wrong, it was a landslide of stressed out thoughts.  
“Leslie,” Ann said gently. “You’re making progress in leaps and bounds.”  
“You think?”   
“I really do. That said, therapy isn’t one smooth upward curve all the time, babe. Having a bad day doesn’t mean you’re failing.”  
Leslie let those words sink in for a second. _Having a bad day doesn’t mean you’re failing._ Then she was snuggling closer to Ann.  
“Thank you, Ann. You wise, noble forest sprite.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
“You’re doing amazing too, by the way.”  
Ann smiled. Leslie had told her that after every session. “Thanks, babe.”

***

One Saturday, Leslie and Ann were looking over the “Leslie and Ann’s Perfect Wedding Mood Boards” to make sure that they hadn’t made any errors in their organization that went against their plan. April was with them in the house, lying on the floor and cutting out random pages from the magazines.  
“Airtight,” Leslie said to herself, noting something down on a clipboard. “Nothing at fault with my expert planning skills- as I suspected.”  
“Oh my god,” April groaned. “You’re such a nerd!”  
“It’s great Leslie,” Ann said, ignoring April. “Just look at this perfect colour palette.”  
“Ugh, you’re both nerds,” April grumbled. “You deserve each other.”  
“Thank you!” Leslie said with a grin.  
The two of them moved to sit on the sofa, watching as April glued a goat's head onto a groom’s body.  
“Did you ever plan your wedding as a kid?” Ann asked. “Or is that a stupid question?”  
“My dream wedding as a child involved both The Muppets and the entirety of the House of Representatives.”  
“Bummer they didn’t reply to your letter,” April said, only half in jest.  
“What about you?” Leslie asked Ann. “Or you April, for that matter. Did you ever plan your wedding?”  
“No,” April said slowly. “I always thought I’d die a spinster. It would have been awesome. It sucks I married Andy.”  
Leslie and April glanced at each other in confusion.  
“To answer your question,” Ann said slowly. “I never really thought about the actual person I married, but I wanted standard kid stuff. Pretty dress.”  
Leslie looked at her. “There’s more to that, Ann. I can tell in your face.”  
“Well…” Ann said, swallowing nervously. “I guess... I always thought I would marry a man. I never thought I would be marrying a woman.”  
Ann expected Leslie to freak out, but Leslie just took her hand.  
“Me neither, Ann. But I’m so, so glad that I am.”   
“Me too. I always felt a little sad thinking about weddings, and I guess that was why.”  
Leslie and Ann leaned in to kiss each other, and April leapt up.  
“GROSS!” She ran out the door, leaving it wide open. Leslie and Ann were left with surprised looks on their faces, except, Ann noted to herself, they really shouldn’t still be surprised by now.

***

The next day at work, Leslie found herself dithering outside Ron’s office, to the point where he opened the door and grabbed her arm, dragging her inside.  
“What’s going on with you, woman?” Ron asked. Leslie sighed loudly.  
“Ron, I need to ask you potentially the most important question of your life.”  
“If you’re trying to get me to switch to semi-skimmed milk again, I won’t have it.”  
“It’s not that,” Leslie said quickly, before taking a deep breath. “Ron… I was going to ask if you’d be my best man.”  
There was a silence in the room, and Leslie felt herself rushing to continue.  
“We have April as our maid of honour, and I just… I mean, I could ask Ben, if you don’t want to. It’s not an official title or anything, but… well, my Dad died when I was ten. And I never had a brother. So, I’d love it if you could walk me down the aisle. And I guess I thought, hey, may as well throw best man in there as well. You don’t have to make a speech, I know you hate those-”  
“Leslie,” Ron interrupted. Leslie caught her breath. “I’d be honoured.”  
Leslie grinned. “Really?!”  
“Certainly,” Ron said. “It’ll be the one time I won’t regret walking down the aisle.” Leslie laughed, and Ron almost smiled at her. “Thank you for considering me.”  
“Of course!” Leslie practically yelled. Ron winced, but then the two of them were smiling at each other.

***

Ann had a strange conversation of her own. She had brought April’s collage into work with her, and caught April about ten minutes before they were meant to all leave.  
“Hey April!”  
“What do you want?” April hissed, baring her teeth.  
“I just thought I would drop off your weird mood board. You left it at our house.”  
“Oh. I wanted you to use it for wedding ideas, since yours sucks.”  
Ann rolled her eyes. “Thanks, April.”  
She turned to leave, but then she heard the scraping of a chair as April stood up.  
“Wait.”  
Ann turned around, watching as April’s eyes darted around- checking if the coast was clear.  
“I know you said it made you sad when you were a kid, thinking of marrying a man,” April said, her voice strained. “I just wanted you to know that I’m happy for you. And you and Leslie… you’re a good couple. I know you’ll be happy forever.”  
Ann smiled widely, feeling a rush of affection for her weird friend.  
“Aw, April!”  
“Don’t hug me or anything. I’d kill you. So maybe do hug me. Wait, don’t.”  
April hurried past her, but Ann could see the smile on her face as she did. It felt great- like a breakthrough.

Just as Ann went to leave work, still happily reeling from her conversation with April, she spotted a familiar figure jogging up to her.  
_“Ann Perkins!”_  
“Chris! Hey!”  
“I just wanted to let you know that I have a date to the wedding. And I am _so_ excited.”  
“Who is it?”  
“I haven’t asked them yet,” Chris admitted as he was jogging in place. “But all will be revealed on the day. Of course, if I have _no date_ , you will know I was rejected.” He stopped jogging in place for a second to give her a sad look, before leaping back into action.  
“Oh... great!” Ann said, secretly desperate to know who it was.  
She wouldn’t have long before she found out the truth, at least. Which also meant she didn’t have long until she was Leslie’s wife.

She smiled all the way home.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <33


	51. The Emergency Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie deals with an issue in City Hall. Chris asks a question. Ann stresses.

“Good morning Ann.”  
“Good morning Leslie.”  
“I see you’re already at the table eating breakfast.”  
“Yes I am, would you care to join me?”  
“Yes I would.”  
Leslie sat down at the table, and Ann could tell she was trying not to break out into a big old grin. Ann had been up for about half an hour and had taken the time to make some food for them both. She squirted some whipped cream onto the waffles and handed the plate to Leslie, who took it with a small nod. She very nearly broke then.  
“It’s Friday today. What are your weekend plans?” Leslie asked. Ann smirked, but composed herself.  
“Nothing really. You?”  
Leslie burst out laughing. “ANN! I can’t do this anymore! You know the wedding is tomorrow, right?!”  
Ann grinned at her, slightly baffled. “Uh, yeah!”  
“We’re getting married tomorrow!”  
“Yes we are!”

The two grinned at each other from across the table. It was madness to think that, just a few years ago, they hadn’t even met. And then they met, and they became friends. And then they fell in love. And now they were getting married.  
“Remember when I fell in the pit?” Leslie blurted.  
“Yes…” Ann said slowly. “And we’re getting married on the top of the now filled in pit.”  
“Yes we are.” Leslie sighed wistfully. “Okay, we have a lot of final prep to get through today. How are you feeling about it?”  
Ann grimaced. “Fine, I hope. You’re better at this stuff than me.”  
“Ann! You are amazing at everything.”  
“I could never make seventeen binders in two days, Leslie.”  
“Fair enough.” Leslie’s phone rang. She stood to go answer it. “That’ll be the cake people, probably.”  
Ann continued eating her waffle as she heard Leslie go and answer the phone. After a few minutes, however, it was quite clear that it _wasn’t_ the cake people, because Leslie ran back into the room dressed in work clothes.

“Ann! Jamm is causing trouble in City Hall, he’s called an emergency meeting about Lot 48.”  
“What?” Ann asked, confused. “Why would he do that?”  
“I don’t know, but if he thinks he can put his foot in it today, he’s got another thing coming.”  
“Wait, what about the wedding prep?”  
Leslie hesitated with one sleeve in her jacket. “Shit. Erm, babe? You might have to take control until I get back. Is that okay?”  
Ann swallowed down the nerves. This was important, or else Leslie wouldn’t be going. She could hold the fort here, sure. “Yes. It’s fine.”  
Leslie must have caught her expression, because she leaned over and kissed her. “You’ll be amazing. I’m sorry I have to go.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann repeated, and she meant it. Leslie smiled at her, and it was like the sun. She ran to the door.  
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Love you!”  
The door slammed, and Ann let out a long sigh. Time to see if she was cut out for wedding prep.

***

Leslie swiftly realised that this wouldn’t be a quick fix. For some reason, Jamm had brought forward the meeting about putting a Paunch Burger on Lot 48 up to today. And if it passed, work would begin on it tomorrow.  
“No!” Leslie called loudly, making Councilman Howser jump. “I’m sorry, Councilman, but I can’t let this happen. It’s not a vital meeting, there’s no need for it to be brought forwards. I’m getting married on that lot tomorrow morning, for one thing!” She clapped her hand over her mouth. Goddammit, why did she say that? But then Jamm laughed, and Leslie squinted her eyes suspiciously.  
“I knew about that!” Jamm said, holding up his hands.  
“How?!”  
“A little birdie told me. Or rather, your friend Jerry Gergich. He was _so_ excited to be invited.”  
Leslie groaned loudly. Goddammit, Jerry.  
“Well, I don’t know what to say, Councilman.” The lot of them looked at her. She swallowed. Formulating. Thinking. “Actually, no. I _do_ know what to say.” She took a deep breath. “Here are fifteen excellent reasons for why Jamm’s proposal to put a Paunch Burger on Lot 48 is totally, utterly ridiculous.”  
Councilman Howser cut off Jamm’s protests with a wave of his hand. He gave her a small smile. “Okay, Knope. Let’s hear them.”

***

Chris tried to calm his nerves. It was just one conversation. And whatever happened, he still had 2.8% body fat. And amazing hair. And months of therapy under his belt. Don’t panic.

“Hey, Ben?”  
Ben looked up from his computer, confused. “Are you okay? You usually go…” he mimed finger guns. “Ben Wyatt!”  
Chris grinned. “That was a _delightful_ impression of me. Yes, I’m fine. I just wanted to ask you something and I am… nervously anticipating what the outcome of the conversation will be.”  
Ben frowned. “You... you wanted to ask me something? What is it?”  
Chris took a deep breath. Was he sweating? He never sweated, ever. “Ben Wyatt. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the wedding with me tomorrow as my date. You are perfectly in your right to say no, and if you wish to forget this request was ever filed we can, I-”  
Ben stood up from the computer and hurried over to meet him. Chris’ breath hitched as he closed the gap with a kiss.

***

Ann wanted to cry. She was looking at the mess of files, trying to work out which ones went where and what was sorted and what needed to be sorted. After a while, she grabbed her phone and frantically dialed. It picked up after a few rings.  
“Donna, are you free?”  
_“I’m getting manicures for the wedding, Perkins, as I told you yesterday. So… no.”  
_“Donna, please? Leslie had to go to an emergency meeting and trusted me to do the wedding prep but I can’t do it like her, she’s a machine! Please can you help me? You’re so competent.”  
A short pause. _“Fine. But all your wedding photos are gonna be ruined.”  
_Ann frowned. “Why?”  
_“Because I won’t have my manicure! Also, I’m bringing reinforcements.”  
_Donna hung up then, leaving Ann slightly confused. As per usual.

***

Leslie finished her speech with a large gasp. Sometimes she forgot to breathe when talking about government work. But she grinned to herself. She had totally kicked ass, as usual.  
“Pawnee Commons,” she said after the breath. “It’s going to be incredible. And I’m working on getting the funding, we’re already on our way to the goal. But if we fall short, I have ideas. A black-tie gala, for one.”  
“That was excellent, Councilwoman,” Howser said with a smile. The other three grumbled incoherently.  
“Thank you. I can speak about it in more detail another time if requested, councilmen. But now, I need to prepare for my wedding.”  
“I vote we move to discuss this at a later date,” Howser said.  
“That’s fine!” Jamm said loudly. “That just means I can prepare an argument to knock your socks off.”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “You wish, Jamm.”  
“This isn’t over, Knope. You’re going to regret this.”  
Leslie didn’t care. She had more important things to do.

***

On the way out of City Hall, Ben was there grabbing her arm.  
“Leslie? What are you doing here? Aren’t you meant to be-”  
“Making the final preparations for my wedding? You’d think so, wouldn’t you? Jamm tried to put his foot in it, but I showed him.”  
Ben grinned. “Of course you did. Do you want a ride home?”  
“That’d be great, thanks.”  
They got in the car, and Leslie looked at Ben. He was flushed and excited. He looked happier than she had seen him in a long time.  
“What is it?” she asked. Ben licked his lips nervously.  
“Chris asked me to be his date for the wedding.”  
Leslie squealed loudly, and Ben had to put his hands over his ears. “OH MY GOD, BEN!”  
“I know!” he said quickly.  
“What did you say?!”  
“I didn’t really say anything at first.” He paused, blushing. “I… kissed him instead.”  
Leslie gasped loudly. “BEN!” The two of them looked at each other, grinning madly. “This is incredible!”  
“I know,” Ben said with a smile. “Isn’t it?”

***

When Leslie walked through the door with Ben twenty minutes later, she wasn’t surprised to see that everything was totally under control. Because of course her incredible fiancé (last day she could say that) had done everything. Leslie never doubted her for a second.  
She watched as Ann and Donna closed the last binder with a flourish. Ann looked up to see Leslie, and her face split into a grin.  
“I got your text- you won against Jamm!”  
“For now,” Leslie said with a smile. “We can deal with whatever he has for us next. But for now, things are fine.” She moved across the room and kissed Ann. “I’m sorry I had to abandon you.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann said quickly. “I recruited help!”  
Donna waved at her. Then April and Andy popped up from under the table, looking very much like they were just making out under there.  
“Andy, you have lipstick in your hair,” Ben muttered.  
Andy rubbed his hair quickly, beaming. “Thanks man!”  
“I won’t make your fiancé seem uncool by disclosing how much she was stressing,” Donna said with a grin to Leslie. “But we sorted it.”  
“All of it?” Leslie asked with a gasp. “But… there were so many binders.”  
“Yeah, no, you’re gonna want to look over some of this,” Donna said. “We definitely need the Knope seal of approval.”  
“I trust you guys,” Leslie said happily. “Whatever you did, I’m sure it’s perfect.”  
They all looked at each other before bursting out laughing.  
“Okay, no,” Ann said. “I love you, but I know you’re desperate to see what we did.”  
“Okay, yes,” Leslie said, hurriedly moving to look at everything. April rolled her eyes.  
“Can we go now? I want to smash the pumpkin I found.”  
“Where could you have _possibly_ found a pumpkin?” Ben asked, exasperated.

***

“I’m sorry I had to leave.”  
“It’s fine, babe.”  
Ann and Leslie were packing their things to stay at various houses. Ann was staying at Donna’s tonight, Leslie was staying with April and Andy. Both of them had their wedding dresses hidden away under the protective covers, and Leslie couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement. Knowing that this time tomorrow, they would be married… it was incredible.  
“I can’t wait to see you in your dress,” she told Ann, who laughed.  
“Right back at ya. I just hope tomorrow goes smoothly.”  
“Honey, you did the planning perfectly. I barely had to change anything, it’s going to go so well.”  
Ann smiled widely, and the two leaned in for a kiss.  
“I love you,” Ann whispered. Leslie smiled softly. She never got tired of it. And she never would.  
“I love you too. So much.”

The two of them went into the living room, where Donna, April and Andy were waiting. Ben had had to leave, but he had given the both of them a hug and a kiss. They were all excited for tomorrow.  
“Tom just called. He’s onto the seventh draft of his speech.”  
“Insane,” Ann said, rolling her eyes. “Why did we let him be in control of the after party again?”  
“Because it made him so happy,” Leslie replied. “Just like how we let Jerry officiate and Ron go into the woods and hand craft all the chairs. It’s kept him happy for hours.”  
“And you let me write the wedding song!” Andy yelled. Ah yes, the wedding song. Leslie had agreed to that on a day where she needed more coffee. But Andy was so happy, who was she to put him off?  
“I’ve heard it,” April drawled. “It’s the best song ever written.”  
“I’m sure it is,” Leslie said, looking at Donna, who shrugged.  
“Okay,” Donna said, turning to Ann. “You ready?”  
“Yep!” Ann said cheerily. “Do you want me to give you a manicure as a thank you?”  
“I appreciate the gesture, Perkins, but I think you’d do my nails more harm than good.”  
“Oh.”

Leslie and Ann turned to look at each other. Leslie leaned in.  
“I’ll see you tomorrow. When you become my wife.”  
“Yes you will,” Ann whispered, a shiver of excitement running through her.  
“I’m counting down the hours.”  
“Well I’m counting down the _minutes_.”  
“I’m counting down the sec-”  
“COME ON!” April moaned. “Can we _go_?”  
“Sure,” Leslie said, shaking herself. She kissed Ann quickly on the lips. “I love you.”  
“I love you too. See you tomorrow.”  
They went their separate ways. And when they were meeting up again tomorrow, they were getting married. Leslie couldn’t quite believe it. Now there was nothing standing in the way of Ann Perkins becoming her wife.

***  
Jeremy Jamm hung up the phone. After a second, he rubbed his hands together, a malicious grin forming on his face.  
“Knope won’t know what hit her. Oh, this is going to be _good_.”


	52. What A Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She knew everything was fine. More than fine, really. It didn’t matter that the day had been crazy as hell, all that mattered is that she and Ann were here together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> l o n g boi this one

It was happening. It was _finally_ happening.

Leslie sprung off the sofa bed at 5:02am and burst into Ben’s room at April and Andy’s. She was surprised to see that he was already awake and drinking a cup of tea.  
“BEN!” Leslie yelled. “DO YOU KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS?!”  
Ben laughed. “I do. It’s your wedding day.”  
“IT’S MY WEDDING DAY!”  
“Oh my GOD,” came April’s voice from down the hall. “We don’t need to be up for two hours, Leslie!”  
“Sorry!” Leslie called. “I’m just so excited!”  
“I should have murdered you in your sleep,” April said bluntly, and then she appeared in the doorway. Andy stumbled blearily over to them, yawning.  
“Happy anniversary Leslie,” he said through a particularly vigorous yawn. Leslie and Ben looked at each other.  
“I wonder if Ann is awake yet?” Leslie asked. Ben chuckled.  
“I think that she’s probably going to sleep in until seven, which is when we have to be awake.”  
“Yeah, Leslie!” April groaned. “For once I agree with Ann!”  
“Okay, sorry, I’m just excited. You guys can go back to bed,” Leslie said with a smile. April gave her a small one back, before the two of them disappeared. She turned to Ben. “Why are _you_ awake?”  
“Not sure,” he replied with a smile. “I’m really excited for the day. And maybe a little nervous.” He paused, swallowing. “But today isn’t about me.”  
“Hey,” Leslie said gently, moving to sit on the bed next to him. “It’s fine to want to talk about this stuff. And thank you for telling me. But you don’t have to worry,” she said softly, leaning in. “I know it’s going to be just fine.”  
Ben smiled at her.

***

Two hours later and it was all systems go. Ben was taking the first shift running things down to Lot 48, which was where the venue was being held.  
“I’m taking the gazebo,” he said, checking the list.  
“Great,” Leslie told him. “Chris is meeting us here to help you run stuff down. Is that okay?”  
Ben blushed a little, before smiling. “Of course, that’s… that’s fine.”  
April rounded on Ben. “What’s going on with you and Chris?”  
“Nothing!” Leslie said quickly. “Right, chop chop! April, you’re helping me with my makeup. And no Halloween make-up, I know I said yes but that was only to convince you to help me.”  
April rolled her eyes. “Fine. But you’re gonna look terrible.”  
“April!”  
“Okay, fine, you won’t.” April flounced a little. “You’ll look great.”  
Leslie smiled at her. “Thank you.”

They were twenty minutes into wedding dress preparation when Leslie got a call from Ben.  
_“Uh, Leslie?”  
_“Yeah? _Please_ don’t tell me that the bunting has gotten crumpled.”  
_“No… erm, you might want to get down here.”  
_Leslie and April looked at each other. “What do you mean?”  
_“Jamm is here. With… people. And signs.”  
_Leslie was on her feet instantly.  
“Don’t move! I’m coming!”  
Leslie called Ann first, who answered straight away. When Leslie told her the situation, she said she was going to get down there immediately. Leslie turned to Andy.  
“Andy, Ann is on her way, but it’s bad luck for me to see her.”  
“That’s not a good way to start a marriage,” Andy said seriously. Leslie shook that off.  
“No, listen. I need you to warn me any time she’s coming, alright? So I can shut my eyes!”  
Andy grinned. “Okay, cool! Wait, what?”  
Leslie ran out into the hallway and grabbed her bag.  
“Leslie!” April called. “You’re in your pyjamas! And your hair is still pinned back, and your makeup is half done…” April stopped. “Actually, this looks really cool. You look like a crazy person. Let’s go.”

***

Leslie, April and Andy arrived not ten minutes later. The venue was half set up- Ron’s chairs looked incredible, Leslie noted to herself, but the man in question was currently in a shouting match with a certain Jeremy Jamm. And Leslie saw why- there was a large gaggle of protesters on the lot, waving signs and shouting. Andy was trying to karate chop one of them, before running off to wait for Ann, while Ben and Chris were continuing to set up the venue, trying to ignore the protesters shouting.  
It was chaos.  
“Jamm!” Leslie shouted, hurrying over to Jamm and Ron. “What the hell?!”  
“Ah!” Jamm called, indicating for the protesters to look over. “Here comes the bride!”  
“What?!”  
“See, everyone? _This_ is why Knope didn’t want the paunch burger! For her own personal gain!”  
“No!” She turned to the people with signs. “Why the _hell_ are you guys here?!”  
One man- Leslie recognized him as a man called Wendell- pointed at Jamm. “He told us that you’re putting a park here. And we want a Paunch Burger.”  
“Is that it?” Leslie asked desperately. Wendell nodded.  
“Some of us don’t like you,” a woman added. “I’ve never liked your hair. It’s too yellow.”  
“And I hated that you put ramps up for the old people!” another man said. “Now I have no excuse but to let my Grandpa into my house!”  
There were some murmurs of agreement.  
“Not me!” one woman yelled from the back. “I’m not here because of the lot!” Leslie looked at her.  
“Aw, _thank you.”_  
“I’m here because I hate homosexuals!”

Leslie looked at Jamm in disgust, who held up his hands.  
“Hey, I didn’t know about that. She just came along with the rest of them.”  
“Jeremy, I’m disgusted in you. We put our disagreement on hold, and you’re just doing this today because you know I’m going to win.”  
“Hey, think what you want. I want a Paunch Burger on this lot, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”  
Leslie looked at Ron, whose brow was furrowed. She looked back at Jamm.  
“Well, you can’t stop us! We’re having a wedding!”  
Before anyone could say anything, Andy ran up the path. “Leslie! Ann is here!”  
“Leslie!” Ann called. “Andy has his hands over my eyes for some reason!”  
“It’s in case of bad luck!” Leslie called back, clapping her hand over her eyes. “Ann! I don’t know what to do!”  
“I’m half-way through my masterpiece,” Donna said loudly. “And if y’all get in the way of that… we’re gonna have issues.”  
“You keep getting ready,” Leslie told them.  
“Are you sure you can handle this?” Ann asked. “Wait, who am I kidding? Of course you’ll find a way. I love you!”  
“Aww,” Leslie said. “I love you too.” Then she spun around to face April but because she had her hand over her eyes, she faced Ron instead. “April!” Ron spun her again, so she was facing the right person. “We’re going to have to do my makeup out here, so I can keep an eye on these people.”  
April smiled slightly. “Cool.”  
Donna, Ann and Andy went into the house, while Leslie sat down on the kerb.

What a day.

***  
Half an hour later, and the protesters had only gotten rowdier. They kept chanting “WE WANT FOOD,” so loudly that Leslie and April had to move into the bathroom, leaving Ron to watch over the situation outside. Ann tried to come and speak to Leslie, but was hastily informed to look away.  
“Do I _really_ have to shut my eyes whenever you’re nearby?” Ann asked as she navigated her way through the house.  
“Yes, Ann! It’s bad luck to see the bride!”  
“I’m rolling my eyes right now, but you can’t see it.”  
That was when Tom showed up, dressed in a velvet suit of course, to tell Leslie that the guests were starting to arrive.  
“Your weird Aunt Helen is here,” Tom told her. “You’ve got half an hour before the wedding is due to start, and there’s still a bunch of people shouting outside. It’s upsetting the guests.” Tom looked through the window. “Hey! That one guy just tried to mess with the balloon arch. That was the one contribution I had to this venue!”  
“Oh god,” Leslie whined. “This is ruining everything.”  
“I gotta say though, boo,” Tom said. “You’re looking _dope_ in that outfit.”  
Leslie blushed. “Aww. Thanks, Tom.” She rolled her shoulders and let out a breath. “Right. I need to go and get Jamm to leave, somehow.”  
“You’ll find a way,” April told her.  
Leslie smiled at her. “Aw, April!”  
“That way is murder. You need to kill him.”  
“No… no.”

Now it was Ben and Chris’ turn to run into the bathroom.  
“We have a situation!” Ben yelled. “We have a- woah.”  
“Leslie Knope!” Chris said cheerily. “You are looking _incredible_.”  
“Thanks Chris! Wait… what’s the situation?”  
“It’s getting worse out there,” Ben told her. “The wedding guests are mixing with the protesters, and some people are already leaving.”  
Leslie felt herself wilting. “Shit. Okay. I can sort this.”  
“I’m coming too.” Leslie spun around to see Ann. “We’re fixing this together.”  
“ _Ann_ ,” Leslie whispered. “Oh my god… you look….” She suddenly yelped. “NO! It’s bad luck for me to see you! Even if you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen in my life!”  
“Leslie,” Ann said gently, moving past them to grab her hand. “Firstly… have you _seen_ you? You’re so beautiful. And secondly, I think we’ve had enough bad luck already. We need to solve this problem.”  
Leslie smiled at her. “Okay. Luckily for us, I have an idea.”  
Ann smiled back. “I didn’t expect anything less.”

***

Leslie stormed outside, flanked by her Parks gang and her fiancé. Ron was outside and looked like he was inches away from punching Jamm in the face. Jamm turned to look at them, grinning wildly.  
“Ah, she finally emerges! Look at that, everyone, she’s been hiding inside all day putting on a sexy dress to try and trick us with her wicked good looks!”  
Leslie looked at him weirdly, before turning and addressing the crowd.  
“Everyone, listen up! You’ve come here on a very special day. I know we have our differences, and I hope someday soon to show you all how great a park would be here. But for now, I just want to have a lovely wedding day, with my fiancé Ann Perkins.” Leslie held up her hand, which was locked in Ann’s. “So, here’s the deal. You guys back off and let me have my day, and in return… I know you guys love food- that’s why you’re here- so you can stay here and freeload all our top-tier wedding food. Even the cake. Deal?” There were some murmurs in the crowd.  
Ann leaned forwards slightly. “Did she mention we’re getting catered by _JJ’s diner_?”  
One man threw down his sign. Jamm looked on in horror.  
“Hey, what are you doing?!”  
“I like free food,” the man said. “Besides, I have a feeling you’re not going to give us the free polish you promised. You seem like kind of a jerk.” More agreeing murmurs.  
“I actually _like_ parks,” one of them said. Then more of the signs were being thrown down.  
One woman- the homophobic one- slammed down her sign and stormed off. “I’m not going anywhere near a same-sex wedding!”  
“Good!” Ben yelled, and April gave him a high five.

Ann turned to Leslie. “That worked out pretty well.”  
“I know right?” she leaned in to kiss her. “You look so beautiful.”  
“Not as beautiful as you.”  
They leant in for a kiss, but Andy suddenly leapt between them, forcing them apart. “LESLIE! Ann’s here!”  
“ _Thank you,_ Andy.”  
Jerry walked over to them, wringing his hands. “Hey, uh, I don’t know if this is important, but Jamm is throwing chairs around at the top of the aisle.”  
Ron stormed past Leslie and got to Jamm. “You’d better stop what you’re doing, son”  
“And why’s that?” Jamm spat.  
“I’ve wanted to punch you out all day and seeing you man-handle my chairs does not make me a happy man.”  
“Ha! You’re all talk. I didn’t see you punch me once. You’re just a coward.”  
Leslie reached Ron’s shoulder. “Hey- Jamm- you’d better stop.”  
Jamm rounded on her. “Shut up, Knope. You’re just a know-it-all _bitch_.”  
Ron had held off before, but nothing stopped him then from punching Jamm right in the face.

***

Two hours later and Leslie was standing in front of Ron in a cell. Jamm was in the next cell, whining about his teeth, but Leslie could just give Ron a sad smile.  
“I’m sorry,” Ron said softly. Leslie shook her head.  
“Are you kidding? You defended my honour. What a good best man.”  
“I ruined the wedding.”  
“I think top spot for wedding ruin-er goes to this guy,” Leslie replied, jabbing her thumb in Jamm’s direction. “Look, I just want to say thank you. It means a lot that you would punch a guy in the face for me. I like to think that, if I’d had a brother, or any male relative for that matter… he would have done the same for me.”  
Ron nodded at her, and Leslie smiled back. The two of them turned round when they heard the door open, and Chris and Ben were entering the room. Chris, of course, was jogging.  
_“Good news!_ You’re free to go, Ron. We bailed you out.”  
_“He_ gets to go?!” Jamm moaned. The police officer just told him he could sleep it off in the cell.  
“The bad news is that a lot of the guests have gone back to their hotels,” Ben said gravely. “We didn’t know how long you were going to be…” He paused. “Oh, and those protester people took the food and left. I mean, I think they were all saying good things when they did-”  
“Especially about the turkey burgers,” Chris cut in.  
Ben squinted a little. “Uh… yeah.”  
Leslie let out a sigh. “God, this day has been filled with ups and downs.”  
“I’m sorry,” Ron said again. “This was my fault.”  
“Stop apologizing, it’s weird,” Leslie said to him, punching his shoulder gently.  
“Why don’t you just do it anyway?” Ben asked. “Tell everyone to come back and they’ll be back in time for the party.”  
Chris turned to Ben. “ _Ben Wyatt!_ That was _literally_ the best idea I’ve ever heard.”  
Ben blushed a little, before smiling. “I- I- thanks.”  
“Chris is right. That is a good idea,” Leslie said to him. “Let’s go!”  
“I’ll just make a few calls ahead,” Chris told her. “And then we can go.”  
Chris and Ben left the room, but Ron grabbed Leslie’s arm.  
“I just wanted to say that… you’re a good friend. And you look very beautiful.”  
Leslie smiled softly. “Okay, weirdo.”  
“He _is_ weird!” Jamm called from the cell. Leslie and Ron looked at each other.  
“Should we maybe go?”  
“Definitely.”

***

It took half an hour to get back to Leslie and Ann’s house. Leslie didn’t know what she was expecting when she got there, she saw that, in the late afternoon light, the Lot was filled with bright fairy lights. While it was mostly empty, save for a few stragglers, she saw all of her friends there. And when she got out of the taxi, and Ron hooked his arm in hers and walked her through into the Lot, at the top of the aisle she saw Ann Perkins smiling at her, and she knew everything was fine. More than fine, really. It didn’t matter that the day had been crazy as hell, all that mattered is that she and Ann were here together, and they were about to get married.

Leslie made her slow walk up the aisle, smiling at her friends as she made her way closer and closer to the love of her life. Andy was playing something on a guitar, sat at the side of the aisle, and Leslie recognized it as “Annie’s Song.” He wasn’t singing, which was unusual for him, but the melody filled up her body and soul.  
She reached the top of the aisle, where Jerry was waiting to perform the ceremony, and Ron let go of her arm. Leslie turned to face Ann. Ann always looked beautiful- this was a fact. But right then, Leslie swore she couldn’t be more in love.  
“Hi,” Ann whispered.  
“Hi,” Leslie whispered back, and the two of them grinned at each other.  
And the ceremony started.

“I believe you’ve prepared your own vows?” Jerry asked.  
“My vows were originally eighty-seven pages long,” Leslie addressed the crowd, and was met with a chorus of groans. “But I managed to cut it down.”  
“Thank god,” Tom quipped, prompting Donna to punch his arm. “Ow!”  
“Ann Perkins,” Leslie started, turning to take Ann’s hand. “You majestic, perfect land mermaid. That’s what I always say to you- or something to that effect. Because every time I see you, I have to tell you that you take my breath away. Not just because of your kindness, or your hotness, but because of how wonderful you are. You constantly find new ways to make me the happiest woman alive.” Leslie paused to take a breath. “I used to think that work was the only way to be happy in this crazy world, but you’ve taught me that there are so many more ways. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life finding new ways to be happy, with you.”  
Ann took a shaky breath, wiping her eyes. _“Leslie.”_  
“Oh no, Ann,” Leslie said quickly. “I’m sorry, you’re crying.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann said gently. “God, I love you.”  
“I love you too.”

“Leslie,” Ann started, taking another breath. “Sorry, you’ve made me fill up a little. Erm…” she took a calming breath. “Five years ago, I went to a town hall meeting because there was a monstrous pit right next to my house, and the parks lady running the meeting pinky promised to help me. Who would have thought that, now, I would be getting married on top of the filled in pit to the parks lady who, can I remind everyone, managed to fall in?” There were some chuckles from the seats. Leslie blushed. “I am constantly in awe of you, Leslie. I’ve never met somebody like you, ever, and I know that we are going to be happy forever, because not only do you dedicate your life to helping and supporting others, but because I have the absolute honour of marrying my best friend,. I am so happy with you, Leslie Knope. I love you so much.”  
“I love you too,” Leslie repeated instantly.

“Do you, Ann Meredith Perkins, take Leslie Barbara Knope to be your wife?”  
Ann didn’t hesitate.  
“I do.”  
“And do you, Leslie Barbara Knope, take Ann Meredith Perkins to be your wife?”  
Leslie took a breath. Hell yeah she did.  
“I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :,)


	53. Wedding Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Leslie are officially married. The party starts. Leslie and Ron have a chat. April and Andy go wild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to wait a few days to post it but I want to cheer someone up.

_“I now pronounce you… wife and wife!”_

Leslie and Ann kissed, and then people were cheering. Leslie almost wished people would cheer every time they kissed, because that was what went on in her head every time it happened.   
“Oh my god,” she whispered when she pulled back. “I love you.”  
Ann smiled at her. “I love you too. So much.”  
Ann turned to see that her mother, Sharon, was one of the first people to leap up from her seat and applaud, and that made her so happy. Gone were the times when she was worried about what people thought, because the only opinions that mattered were those of the people she cared about.   
And everyone she cared about loved her and Leslie.   
Leslie could see Ann looking out at the people, a wistful look on her face. “Hey,” she whispered. “You okay?”  
Ann turned and gave her the biggest grin. “I really am. God, I love you.”  
Leslie squeezed both Ann’s upper arms, her hands moving to grace her back. Before she could take them further, Tom was leaping into their line of vision.  
“Is it... _party time?!_ ”  
Ann and Leslie looked at each other. Leslie held out her hand for Tom to high five. “Uh, HELL YEAH!”  
Jean-Ralphio, who Ann didn’t even know was invited to the wedding, popped up on the other side. “Alright! Let’s-a get this party going!”

***

The chairs were cleared, and Lot 48 was turned into a dancefloor. It was only right for Leslie and Ann to have their first dance which, of course, had to be _Bye Bye Li’l Sebastian_ , sang by their own Andy Dwyer of course. But it was a weird song to slow dance to, so after the first verse, Leslie encouraged everybody to come and dance.   
Another hour in and the music was booming. It was a little chilly outside, but everybody was either dancing, or drunk, or dancing _and_ drunk, so it didn’t really matter.   
April was moping on one of the chairs, and Andy came over and handed her a champagne flute.  
“Babe!” Andy shouted over the music. “What’s the matter?”  
“Nothing!” April replied. “I’m actually happy. It’s just lame that we’re not the only married couple anymore. I feel like it made us cool and interesting.”  
“Isn’t Donna married?” Andy asked. “To Tom?”  
April gave him a look. “Ew. Gross.” Andy gave her a smirk, and April looked at him, confused. “What?”  
“I solved it, babe. I solved the case.” He pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his suit jacket. “Burt Macklin style!”  
“What did you solve?” April asked, a smile appearing on her face.  
“We just need to act _super_ weird all night and reaffirm our status that we are both cool _and_ interesting!”  
April gaped at him, partially because he had used the word reaffirm correctly, but also because he somehow _always_ knew what to say.  
“I’m in!” she yelled. “Let’s go put the leftover lobster on our faces and scare Ben.”   
“Awesome!”

***

Ben was having a fun night. It didn’t help that after the first hour, April and Andy kept trying to prank him, or ran around him doing weird dances, or something to that effect. It made him want to get super drunk, so he did.  
It was after the seventh glass of champagne that he found himself locating Chris in the crowd and dragging him out onto the dancefloor. Chris was a terrible dancer- that was something well-documented over the years, but Ben didn’t care. In his intoxicated state, he became _quite_ the dancer, if he said so himself. Not many other people agreed with him. No matter how many times he yelled it over to Donna and Tom, all they could do was give him a horrified look.   
Jerry, however, gave him a big thumbs up and called him “a stud,” and he didn’t know how to feel about that.  
It was only when Chris yelled to him that he was doing amazingly, that Ben felt a little better. Chris was such a great energy. Sure, Ben could be a downer. But Chris always encouraged him when he needed it, and Ben was always there for Chris. It made sense.  
“Hey!” Ben yelled. “I really like you!”  
Chris beamed at him. “I really like you too, _Ben Wyatt_!”

***

Leslie was dancing with Ann until Ann's Dad asked if he could dance with his daughter, and Leslie was happy to oblige. She felt a little weird, then, being on the dancefloor without a dad, so she went to sit down for a while. She spotted Ron nursing a whiskey at one of the tables, so decided to join him.   
“Hey,” Leslie said to him. Ron raised his glass to her in greeting.  
“How are you?” he asked her. Leslie grinned.  
“I feel like I’m walking on air. I really do.”  
Ron smiled at her. “I’m glad to hear that.”  
Leslie sighed happily. “I just wanted to say thank you.”  
Ron squinted at her slightly. “What for?”  
“Oh, y’know. I mean, you’ve always been a good friend. But even back when Ann and I first came out, you weren’t even phased. And you’ve been like my rock through everything.”  
The two clinked glasses, and Ron took a long swig of whisky. “Thank you, Leslie. I’m glad to call you my friend.” Leslie gaped at him, and he rolled his eyes. “That’s not a surprise, surely.”  
“I… I don’t know!” She kept grinning. “Anyway… thanks.”  
“You’re welcome. I should probably say thank you, too. So… thank you.”

They smiled at each other, and then Ann was joining them at the table. Leslie turned and looked at her, loving how her heart did a somersault. Ann looked like a princess. Like a fairytale princess, and Leslie was the princess was the neighbouring kingdom, and they were meeting to discuss trade and what was going to happen in their medieval government… wow, just thinking about it made Leslie want to kiss her on the spot.   
Ann seemed to catch her expression, because she quirked an eyebrow at her before turning to Ron.  
“How are you? Enjoying yourself?”  
Ron smiled at Ann, and that made her feel special. “I am indeed, Perkins. Or should I call you… Knope?” He looked between them in confusion. Ann laughed.  
“We’re keeping our own names. I know how important being a Knope is to Leslie, and I think Chris would die of sadness if I changed my name. He just _loves_ saying it.”  
“He also _loves_ dancing with Ben,” Leslie cut in, pointing to the dance floor. The three of them turned to look, each of them impressed in their own way. Before they could comment, Andy and April popped out from under the table.  
“SURPRISE!” Andy yelled, making Leslie spill her cocktail onto the table. She cursed, but April and Andy just ran away, cackling. Leslie turned to Ron.  
“What the hell was that about?”  
“I often choose not to question it.”  
“Good call.”

***

After a night filled with fun, it hit four in the morning, and most of the guests had gone. Leslie and Ann were proud to say they had loving conversations with all their friends, and all of them had told them they had an amazing time. It had started off a stressful, confusing day, but the wedding ceremony and the party had been one of the best nights of both the brides’ lives.   
April and Andy had tried to order a horse and carriage, but then April turned to Andy and told him that she was done being weird, and she was happy just being married. Then they kissed, and Ann assumed she had missed a whole running motif she wasn’t a part of, so opted to focus on something else instead.  
“Okay- Tom!” she called. “Maybe just tell Jean-Ralphio to put ice on it? Aaand… they’re already in the taxi. Never mind.” Ann turned around to see Leslie hugging Ben and Chris goodbye. She smiled. It was strange to think that, at one point, she had thought she was in love with Chris. He was a good guy- no doubt about it- but they just hadn’t meshed. She only loved one cheerful neurotic, and her name was Leslie Knope.

“Okay, that’s the last of them,” Leslie told her, walking back over to meet her. “It’s now sort of freezing, should we go back inside?”  
Ann caught the gist instantly. “Sounds perfect,” Ann told her.   
When they reached the door, Leslie (in her drunken state) giggled as she picked Ann up unexpectedly.   
“Hey!” Ann yelled, grinning. “What are you doing?!”  
“I want to carry you through the door like they do in the movies!”  
“But _I_ have the key! In my… purse somewhere. Hang on.”  
Ann rummaged through her bag as Leslie stood there, sort of wishing she had left the romantic gesture until _after_ the door was open.  
“Ann, I love you, but if you don’t unlock this door in the next ten seconds I’m going to drop you.”  
“Noted.” Ann shoved the key in the lock and pushed the door open, allowing Leslie to carry out the fantasy of stepping over the threshold with her wife in her arms.

They wasted no time. They were kissing passionately before the door was even closed; shedding their beautiful dresses as they stumbled into the bedroom.   
"Can we do a roleplay idea I formulated earlier?" Leslie asked.   
"Sure we can. I'd hate to see you beg."  
"I don't know if that's true," Leslie practically purred. And then Ann’s hands were all over Leslie’s body, and Leslie was kissing Ann’s neck.  
“I love you,” Leslie said between kisses. “Wife.”  
“ _Wife_ ,” Ann repeated, and the two of them giggled. “Wow, I can’t believe it.”  
“Neither can I.”   
They stopped for a second, smiling softly at each other. It was truly wonderful. For Ann- she had always felt strange at the thought of a wedding. And it was because she didn’t realise that the right person for her might just be her best friend. And Leslie… Leslie hadn’t stopped to think about anything other than work for most of her adult life- hell, her _whole_ life. But that wasn’t true anymore. She had lazy days. She had a future to plan outside of her career.

And right now, her future involved having sex with her beautiful wife.   
Best night ever.


	54. Honeymoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann get their holiday time. But there's a familiar face on the island.

It was just two days after the wedding that Leslie and Ann were in the airport getting ready to go on their honeymoon. They were going to Hawaii- it was a place that both of them had been desperate to go to, and both of the women were incredibly excited that they got to experience it together. As wives.  
“I cannot _wait_ to show you my colour coded trip itinerary,” Leslie said loudly. Ann laughed.  
“Don’t big it up _too_ much,” she said, jokingly. “I’ve got high hopes for this famous itinerary."  
If Leslie caught that she was joking, she didn’t tell her. She just grinned eagerly.  
“Oh Ann, you’re going to _love_ it. My extensive research into the resort has really paid off- there are _so_ many fun activities that are in store for us!”  
Ann smiled at her. She was married to this energizer bunny of a woman. It was truly wonderful. And it was actually quite good that Leslie was jabbering on about the colour scheme of the trip itinerary, because Ann needed anything to distract her from the fact that, pretty soon, they would be flying in a metal pipe high above the ground, and that wasn’t something Ann was a fan of.  
The two of them were waiting to board when Ann accidentally let the mask slip for a second- when there was a lull in conversation. And there was only a lull because Leslie dropped her travel binder on the floor and was picking it up. When Leslie rose, she saw the worry in Ann’s eyes, and her face softened.  
“Honey, what’s wrong?”  
Ann put on a thin smile. “Nothing.”  
“No, come on.” Leslie looked around. “There’s only like three old guys over there and me, you can tell me what’s wrong.” Ann squirmed, and Leslie caught on. “Oh, Ann, are you nervous?”  
“A little,” Ann admitted, and Leslie rubbed her shoulder. “I have flown before, it isn’t my first time or anything, I just…”  
Leslie nodded sagely. “It’s a mad experience. I know. But I’ll be right next to you the whole time, and you can squeeze my hand the entire flight.”  
“The _whole_ nine hours?”  
“And eleven minutes, yes.”  
“Wow, you’re a great wife.”  
“Thank you, Ann! So are you! These past fifty-two hours being married to you has been the _best_ ,” Leslie said, grinning. Then she sighed happily. “Wife. Wow, I will never get used to that word. It’s amazing.”  
"I'm not used to it either," Ann told her. "But I'm so happy it's finally happened."

***

The flight was reasonably uneventful. Ann had squeezed her eyes shut when they took off, and also took the time to squeeze Leslie’s hand quite hard, but Leslie didn’t mind. Once they were up in the air, it was a little easier. Ann was nervous, so Leslie made sure she kept the conversation up. Which wasn’t a hard feat for her to accomplish- they always had so much to talk about.  
“Has Ben said anything about him and Chris?” Ann asked. Leslie shook her head.  
“Not to me. It’s only like two days though.”  
“My hangover has only just left,” Ann said with a grin.  
“Oh, but it was such a good night, Ann. I thought that when Ron got arrested that it was done for, but it pulled through.”  
“Of course it did!” Ann replied. The plane then hit an air pocket, the turbulence making the plane shake, and Ann’s hand was back to crushing Leslie’s. Leslie rubbed her thumb over Ann's hand as Ann squeezed her eyes shut.  
“You okay?” Leslie asked, once the rough patch had passed. Ann nodded, letting out a long breath.  
“I am. Thank you.” She blushed a little as she loosened the grip on Leslie's hand.   
“Good. And hey, don't let go.” Leslie squeezed Ann's hand, making Ann laugh.  
"You liked me crushing your hand to a pulp?" Ann asked, bemused.  
"If it helps you, then of course!"

***

The resort was stunning. Leslie knew that already, of course, having done all that extensive research she kept bringing up, (potentially even a 360 degrees online tour) but Ann had just seen the pictures and read the reviews like a normal person, so she couldn’t help but catch her breath.  
“Wow,” she whispered. The sky was so blue, the sand practically white. And the resort itself was small, but incredibly cute. And judging by the fact that she already had a cocktail in her hand, it was definitely going to do the trick. She couldn’t wait to spend a week here.  
“Hell yeah,” Leslie said, echoing her sentiment. “Are you ready for item one on the itinerary? Well, more like item two. Item one was gaze in awe at the resort.”  
“What’s item two?” Ann asked her. Leslie just quirked her eyebrow. Ann caught on. “ _Ohh…_ ”  
The two of them practically sprinted to their room, giggling loudly.  
Leslie threw the door open, and then they were dumping the suitcases on the floor.  
“Wow look at our room! It has an amazing view!”  
“Leslie, we can admire the view later.”  
“You’re right. There’s only _one_ view I want to admire right now.”  
Ann squinted at her. “Man, you’re so weird. But same.”  
Hot kisses. Clothes getting strewn on the floor. Curtains being pulled shut. Hands in hair. Skin on skin. It had never felt better.

***

It had been about two hours when they decided to go and explore the beach, hand in hand. The two of them walked down the stone steps to the beach, marveling at the beauty of it all.  
“This is truly incredible,” Leslie told Ann. “I’m so happy to be here with you right now.”  
“So am I, I can’t believe that- _SHIT!”  
_Leslie jumped. “What? What is it?!”  
Ann spun Leslie around, so they were both facing the same way. Just a short distance down the beach was a very recognisable figure, with _very_ recognisable hair.  
“What the _hell_ is Jeremy Jamm doing here?” Leslie moaned. “Are you kidding me?”  
Jeremy turned and saw them, and then he was running over with a grin on his face. Leslie took the time to slip out some choice swear words before he was within hearing distance.

“Knope! Hot nurse! What a surprise!”  
"Hey!" Ann yelled. "That's _Mrs_ Hot Nurse to you!"  
“What are _you_ doing here, Jeremy?” Leslie asked, after high-fiving Ann. “Didn’t you ruin the wedding enough?”  
“Man, are you on your honeymoon? _Hot_.”  
Ann grimaced. "You were _at_ the wedding, man. Not that we wanted you there," she said to herself as Leslie glowered at him.  
“ _Jeremy.”  
_“I didn’t do this on purpose! This is my go-to destination when I need to chillax.”  
Ann put her hands on her hips. “Hm, _sure_.”  
“After doing hard time, I figured I could use some time off!”  
“It wasn’t _hard time_ , you stayed _overnight in a cell_. I’ve done that haven’t I, Ann!”  
“She has,” Ann said. “In Eagleton. It was rough.”  
Ann nudged Leslie playfully. A sign of support.  
“Hey!” Jamm yelled. “I deserve a break.”  
“It _has_ been a challenging time for you,” Leslie forced out with gritted teeth. Ann smiled inwardly. She knew she was trying not to blow up with Ann there.

“Look, I can’t promise to stay out of your way,” Jeremy told them. “It’s a tiny resort!”  
“With a _huge_ beach,” Ann cut in. She could see Leslie’s brain whirring. Then she turned to her.  
“Can I speak to you a second?”  
“Of course.”  
The two of them walked a short distance away.  
“We can’t have Jeremy Jamm breathing down our necks the whole time!” Leslie hissed. “This is a _disaster_!”  
“It’ll be fine,” Ann tried to soothe, but she too felt incredibly irritated by this situation. Of _course_ he would show up on the honeymoon after nearly ruining the wedding. Ann sometimes thought she was in some kind of television programme the way her life worked out.  
“I have a plan,” Leslie told her. “But you’re going to think it’s a risk.”  
“I… will?”  
“Do you trust me?” Leslie asked simply.  
“I do.”  
Leslie nodded. Then she took Ann’s hand and they walked back over to Jeremy. Using the hand that was currently in Ann’s, Leslie pointed at the resort aggressively.  
“In fifteen minutes they’re going to open the recreation room and I saw online that there is a ping pong table. How about we have a little challenge, _councilor_?”  
“What does that mean?”  
“We play. If you win, we’ll let you do whatever you want. But if _I_ win, you have to leave us alone. If you see us having fun on our honeymoon, you stay the hell away.”  
Leslie looked at her. Ann didn’t like bargains, but Leslie had a clear look of _I got this_ on her face that Ann didn’t even allow herself to get annoyed. She trusted her wife.  
She looked at Jamm then, and she saw every thought process he had, clear as day on his face. He loved a good challenge- Leslie had kept her updated on the amount of times they went head to head while she was councilor- and she had a feeling he wouldn’t turn this down.

Which he didn’t, of course. Leslie and Jamm practically sprinted to the ping pong, and Ann followed along behind, slightly exasperated, but also secretly loving seeing her wife getting so energetic. When she had an idea in her head, she always prevailed. It was one of the things that Ann loved about her. And seeing her this confident was both inspiring and a total turn on. Either worked.  
“You’re going _down_ , Jeremy!” Leslie yelled, hitting the ball and immediately scoring a point.  
“Hey!” Jamm yelled back. “I wasn’t ready!”  
“How?” Leslie asked. “You’re standing there with the paddle, aren’t you?”  
“I have weak wrists!” Jamm shot back. Then it was his serve, and there was a short back and forth until Leslie beat him again. Without even breaking a sweat.  
“Again!” Jeremy begged. Leslie rolled her eyes.  
“I think I’ve made my point, but _fine_.”  
She beat him again. And again. After the fifteenth try, Jamm threw down the paddle in anger.  
“YEAH! THAT’S MY WIFE!” Ann yelled, running over to Leslie, the two high-fiving again. They grinned at each other, and Ann almost forgot Jamm was there until he was throwing a tantrum,  
“Well, fine! I didn’t want to hang out with you guys _anyway_!”  
Leslie broke apart from the kiss to give him a cheeky wave as he stormed off, and Ann laughed.  
“Come here.” Then she was kissing her, loving how Leslie gripped the ping pong table from the sheer intensity. "You’re so sexy when you’re confident."  
"I am?"  
"You _really_ are."

***

The day passed by in a wave of utter bliss. They did some exploring- not too much, mind, since they were there a whole week. There were some cool caves that Leslie had about eighty facts about. They took some time to relax on the beach, lying on a beach towel and kissing each other in the half-shade under a tree. It was exactly how Ann had imagined. Things were just so perfect.  
The day turned to night, and nighttime at the resort was just as beautiful as the day. They dined out on delicious food, chatting about anything and everything, before they were back on the beach. It was a little cooler now, and they were alone as they walked along the shore, hand in hand.  
The stars were twinkling on the black canvass of sky. The ocean rolled in and out calmly, the repetitive sound lulling the two women as they decided to turn back towards the hotel.  
“What do you want to do when we get back to the room?” Leslie asked jokingly.  
“Watch some Hawaiian tv of course,” Ann told her with a chuckle. “Is that on the itinerary?”  
“It can be, if you want,” Leslie told her. Ann laughed then.  
“I’m joking, Les. I _know_ what I want to do.”  
_“Oh good.”_  
When they got close, however, Ann was stopped when Leslie squeezed her hand. She turned to look at her questioningly.  
“I’m so glad you were so angry about a pit that you came to a public forum.”  
Ann gasped a little in surprise. “Where did that come from?”  
“Not sure. Honeymoon vibes, I guess.” Leslie was smiling widely, and it felt like the sun was back.  
Ann smiled back at her. “Well I’m so glad that you’re so dedicated to your work that you forced yourself into my life.”  
“Hell yeah. I love you, Ann.”  
“I love you too, Leslie. So much.”  
With that love for each other in mind, they went back to the hotel and enjoyed the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!


	55. Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann return from the honeymoon. Ben has some soul-searching to do.

The door to the house opened and Leslie and Ann staggered in, tired but happy. Or mainly happy.  
“Man, it’s freezing in here,” Ann complained, dumping the suitcase by the door and turning to give Leslie a mournful look as she shivered.  
“Aw. Is that just because we’ve spent a week in Hawaii and now we’re back in Pawnee?” Leslie asked with a laugh. Ann raised her eyebrows.  
“I’ve never heard you even come _close_ to insulting Pawnee.” Leslie pouted.  
“Well I also wish I was back on holiday.” Then her face brightened. “At least I’m back in work on Monday! That’s fun!”  
Ann rolled her eyes fondly. “We are so different. Weirdo.”  
The two of them came closer and hugged, appreciating the contact. They had just spent hours and hours on packed together on a plane, sure, but being close was never tiring.  
“It was a great time though, wasn’t it?” Leslie said happily as they hugged.  
“It really was,” Ann said with a sad sigh.  
Maybe Leslie could look forward to the next thing, but Ann was still thinking about how much fun she had. Going back to work on Monday meant that she it was over and reality kicked back in. She thought of this as the two of them sat on the sofa. Ann slowly removed her shoes, but Leslie was looking through her phone, almost obsessively.  
“What is it?” Ann asked her.  
“Ben texted me, I think he’s freaked out about something. I should probably go and see what’s going on- it might be work related.”  
“Or Chris related,” Ann said. Leslie’s eyebrows raised in shock.  
“If it’s Chris related then I should really go.” Leslie squeezed Ann’s hand. “Do you mind me going for a few hours?”  
“Not at all,” Ann replied, a smile on her face. “I’ve got some things to do anyway. See you when you get back.”  
Leslie reached over and kissed her passionately, surprising Ann, who melted into it.  
“Okay. See you then.”

***

“Ben!” Leslie called as soon as he opened the door. “What’s going on?!”  
“Leslie!” Ben said, surprised. “I didn’t expect you to come over. Didn’t you just get back?”  
“I did, yes.”  
“Did you have a good time?”  
“It was the best week of my life. Now what’s going on with you and Chris?”  
Leslie moved past Ben and came into the living room. Ben shut the door, turning to look at her with that bemused expression he always got.  
“How did you know it was about Chris?” Leslie just gave him a look, and he sighed. “Okay. I sort of panicked the day after the wedding and have been sort of… kind of… ignoring his messages.”  
“What?!” Leslie asked, giving him a look. “Ben!”  
“I know! But I really like him, I just got freaked out. All this dating men stuff, it’s new to me. And he’s a good friend, what if I fuck it up?!”  
Leslie let out a long breath, looking at Ben in such a candid way that it almost shocked him. Then she smiled.  
“Ben, I know _exactly_ how you feel. But let me tell you something." She took a deep breath. "First off, try not to worry about the sexuality thing. You can figure that out in your own time. And look, about dating a good friend... these things can work out. I mean, I felt exactly the same way when I started dating Ann. I still do, sometimes, but therapy is helping with that. But you need to try and look at the facts here, Ben. Chris _really_ likes you.”  
“I know,” Ben said sorrowfully. “I know! And I’m blowing it!” Leslie snorted, and Ben rolled his eyes. “You need to help me, Leslie.”  
“You got it.”

***

Leslie banged on Chris’ door. “Chris! Chris Traeger! It’s Leslie Knope from the Parks department and I have an urgent matter to discuss with you!”  
Chris opened the door. He looked a little rough around the edges, but gave her a wide smile. “ _Leslie Knope!_ I didn’t know you were back from your honeymoon. I need to hear _every detail_.”  
“Not now, buddy. Look, we need to talk.” Leslie moved aside to reveal Ben, looking miserable. “Or rather, _you two_ need to talk. I’m just here to mediate.”  
If Chris were mediating, he’d have brought a referee outfit. Unfortunately, Leslie didn’t have hers to hand.  
_“Ben Wyatt!”_ Chris said, surprised. “I… I didn’t expect to see you.”  
“I know,” Ben said, moving past Leslie to come and stand on the doorstep. “I’m really sorry I’ve been distant, I’ve just been freaking out. And I’ve been freaking out because I think I’m in love with you but I didn’t want to ruin our friendship and I had no idea what to do and I’m so sorry.”  
“You _love_ me?” Chris asked, wide-eyed. Ben swallowed.  
“Yes.”  
_“Ben Wyatt._ All is forgiven, because _of course_ I love you too.”  
The two of them grinned at each other, before moving in to share a kiss. Leslie squealed happily, and Chris pulled away, a little put out. Ben sighed.  
“I sort of wish Leslie wasn’t here though,” Ben said.  
_“Agreed.”_  
“Hey! You brought me on this journey! But you seem to have it covered, so I’ll leave you to it!”  
“Thanks,” said Ben, giving her a warm smile.

***

“Ann! I’m home!”  
Leslie walked through the house to see Ann unpacking the clothes in the bedroom and sorting them into piles. She turned to give Leslie a smile.  
“Hey! How did it go?”  
“Lots of confessions of love today,” Leslie said with a grin. Ann clapped her hands together, excited.  
“That’s awesome!”  
“I know right! How are you?”  
“I’m not sure,” Ann admitted. “I’m sort of sad.”  
“Aw, honey,” Leslie said, moving to give her another hug. “How come?”  
“I just… I had so much fun this week. And now it’s over, and I know you’re great at looking forward and getting back into work, but I just wish we were back in Hawaii.”  
Leslie nodded, moving to sit on the bed and gesturing for Ann to sit beside her.  
“I mean,” Ann continued. “How can you just go back to normal mode? I wish I could do that.”  
“I’m still sad, Ann. And now I know you’re sad, I feel a little worse. But can I tell you something?”  
“Sure,” Ann replied, a small smile on her face.  
“Listening to Ben talk about how he feels about Chris, it reminds me of us in the early days. Friends, not sure where we stood, dating the same gender for the first time… not wanting to mess it up. And look at us _now_ , Ann. We’ve just got _married_. I’m sad the honeymoon is over, but now we have a marriage. And we have each other.”  
Ann smiled at her. She loved her wife so much. “We sure do.”

Leslie stood. “Hey look, our bikinis! How about we ramp up the heating in here and dance around, huh?”  
Ann laughed loudly. “Are you serious?!”  
Leslie quickly changed into her bikini, loving how Ann was watching in amazement.  
“See! We can make every day like our honeymoon!”  
Ann did the same, and soon they were kissing again. It was so blissful, and Ann was reminded that her time with Leslie would never go away- just because they were home, it was only the start of something new. Something incredible.  
“How are you liking honeymoon part two?” Leslie asked in a sultry voice. Ann chuckled.  
“I’m loving it. Thank you.”  
“You’re welcome.”  
“ _But_ we should probably not drink as much as we did on the honeymoon. That wouldn’t be a good lifestyle for me to condone, as a nurse.”  
“Party pooper,” Leslie whispered with a laugh, leaning in to give her a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!


	56. Always on Duty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann are back at work as a married couple. A phone call from Ann's mother prompts an important conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to the girl who made me eat a spoonful of mayonnaise. I know you're reading. You have nice eyes.

“Are you excited?!”  
“Why would I be excited?”  
“Ann!” Leslie pouted. “Come on! You know why!”  
Leslie was tugging on Ann’s arm as she looked in her handbag for her keys. It was Monday, and they were going to be late for work. But Leslie was so damn adorable that Ann had to stop for a second to smile at her.  
“Is it because we’re back at work?” she guessed, knowing damn well she was right.  
“Not just that!” Leslie insisted. “We’re back at work… _and we’re married._ ” Ann snorted.  
“I don’t think it’s going to be that different to usual, Leslie.” But then she had feelings of her own in her stomach. It _was_ exciting. They were _married_. Leslie seemed to catch her expression, because then she was grinning.  
“See! I told you!” Leslie brought her in for a hug and squeezed her tightly. “I can’t believe it!”  
“Neither can I! There was a time when we were hiding our relationship at work and now look at us,” Ann replied, feeling quite emotional now. The two stared at each other for a second, grinning, before Leslie jumped.  
“We’re going to be late! And I have seventeen presents to give out to people, so we need to move.”  
Ann just rolled her eyes fondly.

***

When they got to work, everybody was all smiles and cheers. Ann could tell Leslie was in her element- she wasn’t a self-centered person by nature, but Ann knew that she liked being surrounded by friends who could make her feel special. And it wasn’t hard for any of them to do so. Sometimes it felt like they were all there for Leslie rather than her, but then Andy was excitedly asking Ann about what being on the plane was like, and Donna was complimenting her tan. It was nice. Nice to be back with their friends.  
“Did you have a pleasant trip?” Ron forced out, and Ann laughed.  
“That was terrible, Ron. But thank you for trying.”  
Ron just nodded.  
Once the presents were given out (Jerry was particularly happy with his airport gift shop magazines) Leslie and Ann walked to their respective offices. When it got to where they needed to split off from each other, Leslie made a deal of straightening her suit and clearing her throat.  
“Ms Perkins,” she started, her voice overly formal. “What a pleasure to see you at this work establishment.”  
Ann chuckled, before putting on a serious expression. “Councilwoman Knope, the pleasure is all mine.”  
Leslie dropped the act for a split second to give her a cheeky look. “Are you _flirting_?”  
Ann’s eyes widened. “No! I was going along with the- with the _bit_ you were doing!”  
“Damn. I kind of hoped you were.” Leslie cleared her throat again. “I will see you at lunch time, workplace associate.”  
Ann nodded firmly. “Good. I look forward to our meeting.”  
“Likewise.”

***

Leslie had really hoped to have a fun first day back, but that wasn’t to be the case. Jamm wanted to talk about absolute nonsense as per usual, while Leslie was trying to make _actual_ changes in the town. She sighed in exasperation for the third time in ten minutes.  
“Jeremy. Can we _please_ talk about the duck pond?”  
“Nope!” Jeremy replied, his face bitter. “Unless you agree to put a ping pong table in the centre.”  
“Will you _please_ get over the ping pong thing?!”  
Jeremy made a big deal of flicking through his papers. “Okay, here’s one we can talk about. You want there to be talks in the Town Hall about road safety. Blegh!”  
He threw the papers around, prompting Leslie and Councilman Howser to glance at each other.  
“I think it’s a very important issue,” Leslie said slowly. “Especially since my wife was injured a few months ago after a hit and run-”  
“Leslie!” Jeremy called. “Look, if it isn’t a ping pong ultimate league or a Paunch Burger, I’m not interested!”  
Councilman Howser rolled his eyes. “Councilman Jamm,” he butted in. “Ms Knope’s proposal for talks on road safety are _important_ , so I think we should discuss them.”  
He turned slightly to smile at Leslie, and she smiled back. She had a swirly feeling in her stomach, but actually knowing she was going to be making real changes, for the things that mattered… it was incredible.  
  
 _Aaand_ Councilman Dexhart just made a pass at her.

She let out a long, long sigh.

***  
Ann was typing away at her desk when her phone started ringing. It was her Mother, and Ann answered the phone with a smile.  
“Mom!” she said happily.  
 _“I haven’t caught you at a bad time, have I?”_ Sharon asked.  
“Not at all,” Ann replied, quickly pressing the space bar a few times as her computer froze. “I’m not getting much done here anyway. What’s up?”  
 _“I just wanted to ask how your first day back was going!”_  
“It’s going fine, I…” Ann frowned, suspicious. “Really? That’s all?”  
 _“What do you mean?”_  
“Mom, I know you. What are you really calling about?”  
A silence down the phone. _“Well, if you must know, I was just talking to your father about grandchildren. I know you’re busy with work and therapy, but…”  
_ Ann sighed a little. “Well, Leslie and I are talking about it. Leslie made a baby binder, we’ve been looking through it. But we are quite busy, yeah.”  
 _“You know, dear, there’s never going to be a time when you’re not busy. Not at your age, and especially not with that wife of yours. Has she ever taken a day off in her life?”  
_ Ann laughed. “Not willingly.”  
 _“That’s a good trait for a mother to have. You’re always on duty.”  
_ That was a good point. Ann was going to reply when she saw Leslie approaching the door.  
“I have to go now, Mom, but thank you for checking in!”  
 _“Just think about it, honey!”_

Ann rolled her eyes a little when she hung up. Her Mother was quite overbearing. Possibly less so now than she was, but it was still there. Marlene Griggs-Knope and Sharon Perkins were quite the pairing for them to have.  
Leslie entered Ann’s office looking miserable. Ann’s face softened.  
“Hey, Leslie! What’s up, babe?”  
“Nothing,” Leslie groaned, sitting in the chair opposite Ann’s. “Just sick of Jeremy Jamm. My proposal for the road safety talks is going forward though,” she added a little quieter. Ann smiled, ignoring how her heart rate automatically increased. Road safety… it was a difficult topic. But Leslie knew that, so she moved on quickly.  
“It’s fine, anyway,” she continued. “I can deal with them. And I know I’m better than all of them combined.” Ann nodded in agreement, and Leslie smiled at her. “How are you?”  
“Fine,” Ann echoed. “My Mom called me to tell me you would be a good mother.”  
Leslie laughed loudly. “She did? How come?!”  
“Because you’re _always on duty_. Her words.”  
Leslie bobbed her head in agreement. “That’s a fair point.” Then she was wringing her hands, and Ann put her hand on top of Leslie’s, rubbing her skin. Leslie let out a breath, trying to calm herself.  
“If you’re nervous about having a kid, we can wait a while,” Ann told her. “It doesn’t have to be right away.”  
“I’m not nervous.”  
“Are you sure? You look nervous.”  
“I just… what if I’m always too busy?” Leslie asked. “I’m always on duty and I have a very demanding job, Ann.”  
“I don’t think there’s ever a time you won’t be busy. And we knew work would be an issue when we got together, didn’t we? For both of us, I mean. We _both_ have demanding jobs.”  
“I have douches like Jamm trying to ruin my council plans. You’re the best nurse in the world…”  
Ann laughed. “Both very demanding. But… sometimes you have to just… go for it. Like how we went from being friends to dating. And dating to married. We can figure it out, Leslie.”  
Leslie sighed happily. “You’re right, Ann. You perfect swan. Let’s start trying to get pregnant.”  
The two of them smiled at each other, before leaning in to kiss each other.  
“ _Councilwoman!_ ” Ann said in a sultry voice as they pulled apart. “We’re in the _workplace_!”  
Leslie smirked back at her. _“I don’t care.”_  
They moved to kiss again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	57. The Ask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The worst dinner date of all time, maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> these guys are all idiots I swear

“I’m still shuddering thinking about that correspondents meeting,” Leslie told Ann one night as they were washing dishes.  
“At least you managed to catch the people hacking your emails,” Ann replied, albeit a little distracted.  
“What is it?” Leslie asked. “Are you okay?”  
“Sure,” Ann replied. “I was just thinking… we’ve been doing a lot of research into sperm donors…”  
“A _lot_ ,” Leslie cut in. “A lot. Seven binders worth.”  
Ann smiled thinly. “Yes. A lot. And I was just thinking… at that meeting, I kind of had an epiphany that maybe we should ask Chris to be our donor.” Leslie frowned in thought, and Ann hurried to continue. “Think about it. We know him, and we know how healthy he is. And he’s a good person and I think he would agree.”  
Leslie nodded slowly. “Okay. I agree. But we need to be careful with how to ask him, okay? I don’t want him to spiral in that special Chris way he does.”  
“Maybe we should ask him to dinner? Let him pick the restaurant?”  
Leslie groaned. “Does that mean lots of vegetables?”  
“Yes. I know you like them really.”  
“I do! Just… not at _that_ capacity.” Leslie and Ann grinned at each other. “Should we invite Ben too? Thinking about it, Ben is pretty healthy as well. And a cute guy. He would also be perfect to ask.”  
“Would that be awkward?” Ann asked. “Asking both of them if they want to donate sperm?”  
Leslie brushed her off. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

***

Twenty-nine hours later and the four of them were out at a restaurant Chris loved called _Petite Laitue._ Chris insisted it meant “Little Lettuce” in French, as he tucked into a starter consisting of... lettuce.  
Leslie’s mind was elsewhere. So was Ann’s, and Leslie was starting to regret doing this in a public setting, especially with Ben there. It had seemed like such a good idea at the time, but she could feel the awkward waves emanating off her and her wife, and Ben was starting to notice.  
“Leslie,” Ben said slowly. “You’ve not even tried the potato. Are you okay?”  
“PERFECTLY NORMAL,” Leslie replied in what she hoped with an acceptable volume, earning a small slap on the arm from Ann, who gave her a look that said _shut the hell up_. Leslie swallowed. “Yes. I will try them now.”  
She tried to eat, chewing with a strange look on her face. Ann took a long drink of water. Ben and Chris glanced at each other, before Chris cleared his throat.  
“Well. It is simply _incredible_ to be eating a meal with the two of you today. _Incredible_.”  
“Thank you Chris. Do you have a history of heart disease?” Ann asked, and Leslie turned to stare at her. After a second, Ben held up his hands.  
“Okay, I think I have to ask. What on _earth_ is up with you two tonight?”  
_“We want a baby and were hoping that one of you would want to be the sperm donor!”_ Leslie blurted, before clasping her hand over her mouth. Ann put her head in her hands.  
“You don’t have to decide right away,” she said, muffled. “We just… wanted to ask.”  
Chris and Ben both froze- Chris with the fork right by his mouth, Ben with his hands in the air.  
Ann and Leslie looked at each other, before Leslie leapt out of her seat.  
“WE NEED TO GO TO THE WHIZZ PALACE!” Leslie yelled, before taking Ann’s hand and dragging her to the bathroom.

***

“I’m so sorry!” Leslie wailed once they were in there. “I totally fucked that up!”  
“I'm not disagreeing with you, but I also want to point out that it was doomed from the start!” Ann replied with a groan.  
“I am only now realising all the reasons why doing it the way we did was a bad idea!” Leslie replied, leaning against the sink.  
“It was so badly handled,” Ann agreed. “We are _terrible_ friends.”  
“Why did you agree to do this?” Leslie asked. “You’re usually great at making sure I don’t do things like that!”  
“Hey!” Ann shot back, irritated. “I had no idea of the right way to do it- I’m also _very_ stressed about this!”  
“Well okay, so we _both_ suck!”  
“I agree!”  
The two of them looked at each other, for a second, both of them fuming.  
“Was that our first argument as a married couple?” Leslie asked quietly. Ann scrunched up her face.  
“I don’t know. We both sort of angrily agreed with each other, so maybe not.”  
They closed the gap between each other and quickly kissed.  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie told her.  
“Me too,” Ann replied honestly. “Although, we should really be apologising to the boys.”  
Leslie groaned again. “You’re right. Ugh, I’m so stressed that my stomach is hurting.”  
“Are you okay?” Ann asked, concerned.  
“I think my period is coming. That’s the one good thing about getting pregnant, you don’t have a river of blood every month.”  
“And… at the end you _gain a baby_?”  
“Well, sure, that too.”

***

Leslie and Ann awkwardly approached the table with a wince and sat back down. They had been gone for ten minutes, and in that time, Chris had eaten all the vegetables off everyone’s plates. Ben just looked incredibly unwell, and Leslie related to that.  
“We’re sorry,” Ann said quietly. “There were probably a million better ways we could have asked that question to you both.”  
“Yeah,” Leslie agreed. “That wasn’t fair on you.”  
“Can I talk?” Chris asked, and the three of them looked at him expectantly. “I think that, should I ever want a child in the future…” he glanced at Ben, who smiled. “I think I would have done the same thing. I would have approached two dear friends whom I love very much.”  
Leslie and Ann looked at him, soft smiles on their faces.  
“I agree,” Ben said quietly. “I mean, I would have liked some warning, but I do agree.”  
“You guys can take time to think about it,” Leslie told them quickly. “You can even say no if you want. We just thought we should ask.”  
“I’m up for it,” Ben said, surprising all three of them. “I want to.”  
“Me too,” Chris said with vigor. They both looked at each other.  
“Oh god,” Ann whispered.  
“Oh,” Ben said quickly. “Well, Chris... maybe you should do it. I mean, you were the one that stopped freaking out in the first place. I was the one freaking out, but you weren’t. I think it makes sense that you do it.”  
A quiet silence fell over the table as Chris smiled and took Ben’s hand, squeezing it.  
“Thank you, Ben.”  
“And hey,” Ben added with a chuckle. “If you want another kid, you know where I am!” He took a long drink of wine.  
Leslie laughed, deciding to play along. “And if you two decide to ever have kids, _my womb is ready_!”  
Ben coughed the wine up, giving her a look of shock. Ann groaned again, slapping her hand to her face, but Chris just grinned widely.  
Then they were laughing again, and chatter returned to normal. Leslie found Ann’s hand under the table and squeezed it. They would all talk about this in more detail another time. For now, it was a time to be with friends.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you <3


	58. A Pain in the Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann decide who will carry the baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- gets pretty intense towards the end, talk of pain

It was the end of work the next day, and Ann met Leslie in the Parks Department. She was in the office talking to Tom, but Ann was quite glad that he left “to get the best pedicure ever” before she whipped out the fertility book she had in her bag.   
“Ooh!” Leslie exclaimed. “I can’t wait to read every single page.”  
“You’ve read so many of them, do you really need another?” Ann asked with a laugh.  
“I do, Ann. It’s incredibly important we get this right, and the whole thing is such a pain in the side.” She paused to frown. “Wait, do I actually have a pain in my side? Is this what all the research has done to me?”  
“Your period, right?” Ann asked her. Leslie nodded slowly.  
“Must be. Anyway, Ben texted me last night to say that Chris is doing tons of research, so we need to do the same, okay?” Ann nodded, sitting down in the chair with a sigh. Leslie looked at her. “What is it?”  
“Well…” Ann swallowed. “We’ve done all this research, but we haven’t actually discussed which one of us is going to carry the baby.”  
Leslie let out a little gasp. That was a good point. They _hadn’t_ discussed that.   
“Are we stupid?” she asked Ann. “How could we forget that?!”  
“I don’t know!” Ann replied, equally baffled.

Leslie sat back, thinking. A thought occurred to her, and she let the thought develop in her brain for a few seconds before throwing it out into the room.   
“Ann,” she said slowly. “I think _you_ should have the baby.”  
Ann looked at her, wide-eyed. “You do? How come?”  
“ _Because_. You were the one thinking about having a baby _way_ before me. Well, I’d thought about it, but not to the same extent as you. Which means that _you_ out-Knoped _me_.” Ann laughed softly. “It’s always been you who’s brought it up. And by Ben’s logic from last night… it should be _you_.”  
Ann let out a short breath. _“Really?”_  
“Really. I don’t mind, I’m just happy to have a baby with you. I don’t care which part of us it will be from, it’ll be _our_ baby. And we’re going to love the hell out of it.”  
Ann sniffed, emotional. “Are you sure?”  
“I’m sure,” Leslie said firmly. Then she stood and embraced her wife tightly, ignoring how it made her stomach twinge.   
“How did you know I wanted to?” Ann whispered into her neck.  
“Honey,” Leslie replied softly, pulling back to look at her. “I know _you_.”   
They smiled at each other, and Ann was reminded just why she fell in love with Leslie in the first place. Not that she ever forgot, but it was times like this that she knew it the most.   
Ann checked her watch. “It’s 4:55. We should probably head home.”  
“Okay,” Leslie said happily. “Let’s go.” In the past, she would never leave work until after five, Leslie thought to herself. But now she was more relaxed. And if her wife wanted to leave work at 4:55, then that was what was going to happen.

They had only walked about three metres when Leslie felt that pain again. It was ten times worse than last time, erupting in her lower right side and making her stop walking and clutch at her stomach.  
Ann turned around to look at her. “Leslie? What is it?”  
“Not sure,” Leslie bit out, wincing. “That pain is back. And it _really hurts._ ”  
Ann felt panic blossom in her chest as she hurried over to Leslie’s side and looked at her. Her face was white as a sheet, but then Ann touched her, and felt heat radiating from her in waves. But she was fine before, wasn’t she?   
“Leslie,” Ann said firmly. “Where is the pain?” Leslie indicated her side, and Ann felt her stomach drop. She remembered Leslie complaining of pains at the restaurant the night before- they had thought it was period pains, but what if it was something more sinister? That was entirely likely, since her wife currently looked like death.   
_It had come on so quickly.  
_ “I think you might have appendicitis,” Ann told her. “I need you to sit down.”  
“I’m fine,” Leslie told her. “It’s probably just my mother gut!”  
 _“Leslie_ ,” Ann said, a little harsher than intended.

That was when Ron entered the room in his coat. He was about to head home, but one look at the situation and he was striding over to them with a frown.  
“What’s going on?” he asked, putting his hand on Leslie’s arm and looking at Ann.  
“I think Leslie has appendicitis,” she told him. “I need you to phone an ambulance.”  
“I’m fine,” Leslie said weakly. “Really.”  
Ron pulled out his phone and began dialing, ignoring Leslie’s protests. Ann was fretting over Leslie, who could feel the pain getting worse by the second.   
"I can't sit down," Leslie begged. "It really hurts. _Please."  
_ "Okay," Ann said quickly. "Okay."  
Maybe she _did_ have a problem. “Ann, I think it might have been hurting for a few days,” Leslie admitted quietly.  
Ann felt her breath catch in her throat. _“What?_ Since before yesterday? _”  
_ “I didn’t even notice properly- we’ve been so busy!”  
She buckled over in pain then, and Ann’s hands were on her, holding her up. Leslie could tell she was trying to keep calm and failing, so she gave her a weak smile.  
“I’m so sorry, Ann.”  
“We just need to get through this, okay? Keep breathing.” She turned away for a second. _“Ron?”_  
Leslie heard Ron’s steely voice from somewhere to her right. “I’ve phoned an ambulance.”

Leslie could barely see through the pain now, which had come on very quickly. Ann was taking shaky breaths next to her. Leslie winced again, before crying out in pain. She felt Ann’s cold hands on her head before she barked a question to Ron, asking how far away the ambulance was. Leslie vaguely heard Ron saying that it was nearly here, but his voice sounded far away. All she was aware of now were Ann’s hands on her back, and her breath by her face. She was holding her up, Leslie thought, but maybe Ron was doing that, because then Ann was in front of her, cupping her face.  
“Leslie,” Ann said loudly. “They’re nearly here. Just hang on.”  
Her vision was blurry; she couldn’t see her anymore.   
“I can’t,” Leslie said weakly.  
“Hang on. Just hang on for me.” A silence. “Leslie, _please._ ”  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie whispered.  
The last thing she remembered was falling forwards in one final burst of pain, and there were hands catching her and Ann’s desperate voice in her ear.

And then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading :)


	59. Without Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie is rushed to hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- upsetting content

Ann caught Leslie as she fell into her, and then Ron was there to help her, taking most of Leslie’s weight.  
“Shit,” Ann whispered. _“Fuck.”_  
There was a commotion from by the door, so Ron helped Ann lay her down and disappeared, charging towards the door. Ann was holding Leslie in her arms, trying to get a response from her.  
“Leslie?!” she called desperately. No answer. She kissed her wife’s hair, getting a faint whiff of her shampoo. And now she wanted to burst into tears and scream at the same time.   
Ann clung to Leslie tightly as heard Ron talking loudly to some people who entered the room, but Ann couldn’t even focus on that. All she could focus on was her wife, and her wife wasn’t saying anything. She was holding her in her lap, and she didn’t know what to do. All of her nurse training had gone out of the window.  
Then there were people talking loudly down her ear and tearing Leslie away, taking her heart with her.  
And now her arms felt empty.  
Things were a blur after that. Leslie was loaded onto a gurney and Ann was running alongside it, then Ron was grabbing her arm and telling her to keep calm. Then he was saying he would meet her at the hospital. And then she was in the ambulance trying to find her wife’s hand amongst all the people and stress and the frantic busyness, but she _couldn’t reach it._

_Just grab her hand._

She tried again, tried to lean forwards and reach her hand, but somebody got in the way and Ann was forced to sit back, painfully aware of how empty her hands were.

***

They arrived at the hospital and Ann could only watch as Leslie was wheeled away, people talking in harsh voices and giving orders. She was swept up in a mass of movement and then she was being told to sit and wait in the waiting room, which was painfully empty.  
She had no idea when Ron was going to arrive, but all she could think of was how, this morning, Leslie and Ann were excitedly talking about having a baby together. And now she was gone, and she couldn’t even grab her hand while she still had the chance.  
Ann didn’t realise there were tears pouring down her face until she was feeling them drip onto her trousers. She stood shakily and stumbled to the bathroom, only letting the sobs out once the door was firmly shut and she could stand by herself and feel the emotion overtake her.  
She must have been in there for fifteen minutes, crying, until she heard the toilet door slam open.

“Ann?”  
It was April. Ann took a shaky breath to try and contain the crying, but it wasn’t happening. There was a short silence, and then April was knocking on the bathroom door.  
“Are you dead in there?”  
“No,” Ann choked out.  
Another silence. “Good. Can I come in or whatever?”  
Ann let out a breath of surprise before unlatching the door. Her friends were going to see her eventually, she may as well let the most judgmental one see her first.  
Ann was surprised that, upon opening the door, April didn’t have anything horrible to say.  
“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “This really... _really_ sucks.”  
Ann let out a shaky laugh, surprising herself. “Yeah. It does.”  
April wiped her face. Ann could tell she looked really upset herself, and she didn’t know what to say.  
“Everyone is here. We don’t have to go out there though, if you don’t want to.”  
Ann sighed softly. “I just… I can’t believe it.” She felt her face crumpling again. “She was in so much pain, and I couldn’t- I didn’t-”  
She started crying again, and April awkwardly hovered beside her, looking everywhere but her face. But then she brought her hand out and put it on her arm, patting awkwardly. Ann looked at her, before closing the gap and hugging her tightly, ignoring how April squirmed. After a second, April brought her arms around Ann and squeezed her back. But it was only for a second, because then the bathroom door was opening, and they were leaping apart.

“You guys good in here?” Donna asked quickly. “Ann?”  
“Not really,” Ann said shakily. Donna nodded in understanding, bringing Ann in for a hug. After a second April joined the hug, and the three women squeezed each other tightly. When they pulled away, April leapt back as if she had been burned. Ann felt Donna’s scrutinous gaze. Then she was holding out a bottle of water.  
“I got it from the vending machine, you need to get hydrated,” she said. “Leslie wouldn’t want us to let you shrivel up.”  
Ann smiled at her. “Thanks. I should probably go back out, huh.”  
Donna shrugged. “Only if you want to.” April nodded.  
“Yeah. It’s gross in here.” She paused. “I like it.”  
Ann smiled weakly at them both. “Thanks, guys.”  
Donna rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. “No problem, Perkins.”

***  
Ann couldn’t feel her legs when she left the bathroom and headed back into the waiting room. The only slightly good thing were the faces of her friends that met her there. Ben was the first one to give her a hug- not the most surprising hug of the night, she had to admit.  
“You okay?” he asked her softly when they pulled apart.  
Ann sighed. “Nope. I just want to know what’s going on.”  
Ben nodded. “I know. I just asked- no updates.”  
Ann nodded, collapsing into the chair next to Ron and leaning forwards, biting her thumbnail.  
She saw Ron turn towards her out of the corner of her eye.  
“When you were in hospital after your accident, Leslie was inconsolable,” Ron told her. “We’re here for you, should you need it.”  
“Yeah,” Tom echoed. “If you want anything, I can get it.”  
Chris was nodding vigorously; Andy was squeezing April tightly. Jerry and Donna were looking at her, and Ann felt simultaneously loved and overwhelmed.  
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Thanks, guys.”  
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes until slowly, ever so slowly, conversation started. Andy was the first- clearly the lack of noise was unbearable for him, and Ann was sort of grateful.  
Every quiet second just reminded her of her wife, who would usually fill the silence.  
Ron was being unusually fidgety next to her, and Ann swallowed down the pain to turn and ask him a question.  
“Are you okay?” she asked simply. “I know she’s your best friend.”  
“I would call her that, perhaps,” Ron said, his voice strained. “She is a good colleague.”  
The two sat in silence. It occurred to Ann that Ron hadn’t said if he was okay or not.  
“Thank you for keeping cool in there,” Ann said, her voice sounding strange. “I couldn’t keep it together. I’m a nurse, it’s my job, but…”  
“But when it’s your wife, it’s different. I know.”  
She remembered how he had caught Leslie, holding her while Ann lost all semblance of calm.  
“I can’t stop thinking about her pain,” Ann whispered. Ron’s brow furrowed, and she regretted her words.

Before she could say anything else, however, a doctor appeared in the doorway. It was a doctor that Ann knew quite well- a friendly man called Cal. When he spotted her in the sea of faces, he made his way over to her directly. Ann leapt up from the seat. Ron did too, and she felt a little comfort when he put his hand on her arm.  
“What’s happening?” she asked the doctor, feeling a rush of panic when Cal didn’t speak right away. “Say it to me straight, Cal- you’ve known me a long time.”  
Cal nodded slowly, before letting out a sigh. “Ann, I’ll be honest. Her chances aren’t good.”  
Ann felt her stomach drop and her breath catch in her throat. She felt floored. She felt empty. 

_No. There was no way._

Ron tightened his grip on her arm. _“Explain yourself,”_ he said to the doctor.  
“Her appendix ruptured, and the infection has spread. She’s currently in there fighting for her life.”  
Ann was aware of the rest of the Parks Department all looking at each other in horror.  
“She’s strong,” Ben whispered from the other side of them. “It’s _Leslie_.”  
“I want to assure that we’re doing everything we can. I just thought you would want to know, and to prepare yourself for all outcomes.” He turned to look at Ann. “Okay?”  
Ann swallowed, nodding. Cal reached out and patted her arm, and then he was turning and leaving.  
As the doors swung shut, Ann swore she felt like the whole world was ending. Her wife was in there and she was dying. There were voices coming from all around her, but she drowned them out. All she wanted to do was to see Leslie, but instead all she could do was stand in that waiting room and put her head in her hands, thinking about how she couldn’t reach Leslie’s hand when they were in the ambulance, and how empty her arms felt now. How silent the room was.

Her wife was dying, and she was out here. Without her.


	60. Where Is She?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann gets some news.

_Leslie opened her eyes.  
She was in the park and it was raining slightly, making the grass glisten like starlight.  
A man was there- her Father. And it didn’t feel strange, not at all.  
“You’re here!” Leslie yelled excitedly, running to hug him. He squeezed her tightly, and she couldn’t help but cry. She hadn’t seen him in so long. It felt incredible.  
It felt like how it had when she was a child. Dancing in the rain.  
And the park was so beautiful. It felt perfect.  
Except Ann wasn’t here. Where was Ann?  
Leslie turned to her Father. “Where’s Ann?”_  
_“She’s not here,” he told her in that scratchy voice of his.  
_ _Leslie looked at him._

_"Where is she?"_

***  
It had been hours, but not one of them had left.

Ann didn’t know what to do with herself. She had cried for what felt like hours, and nobody knew what to say. Everybody’s nerves were strung so tightly that the slightest sound- like the door opening- made all of them jump out of their skin. They were waiting for news- _any_ news.  
Donna had told Ann to drink some water- that felt like years ago- so Ann tried to take a few sips. Her mouth was dry; she hadn’t realised. Ron was next to her, still as a statue. She looked up, and they all looked as exhausted as she felt.

She was thinking back over the days she had spent with Leslie, trying to think about _anything_ other than her pained cries and the fact she couldn’t reach her hand.  
Their wedding day. Think of their wedding day.  
_“And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life finding new ways to be happy, with you_. _”_  
Ann felt new tears pouring down her face. That was what Leslie had said to her.  
She thought about how they lay together on the beach. Their honeymoon had been magical- just so perfect. Any time spent with Leslie was perfect.   
It was so cruel. They had had so little time, and for things to end here… it would be so cruel.

She was wrenched from her thoughts when the door burst open. Doctor Cal was back.  
Ann leapt to her feet, ignoring the headrush and the way her bones protested. She was exhausted, but she had to know.  
But she knew that look- he had a half smile on his face, and she felt her body flood with relief, so heavy that she staggered a little. But Ron was there at her arm yet again.  
“The operation was a success,” Cal told the room, and it was flooded with sighs and sobs. April fell into Andy, and he hugged her so tightly. Ben and Chris looked at each other in awe. Tom and Donna both started openly crying in relief. Jerry hugged Tom tightly, and Tom didn’t even protest.  
Ann and Ron looked at each other, and she could see he was crying. She didn’t even think- she hugged him tightly, and he squeezed her back.  
“She’s in recovery now,” Cal continued, before losing the smile slightly. “It’s been a rough ride though.”  
“Thank you,” Ann whispered, when she pulled away from Ron.  
Cal nodded. “Ann, I need to talk to you for a minute.”  
Ann felt the fear grip her again. She nodded dumbly.

“It was very touch and go,” he said to Ann quietly after he led her a short distance away. “We actually lost her once.”  
Ann’s hands flew to her mouth. _“What?”_  
“But we got her back,” he continued hurriedly. “And, following that, the operation was a success. She’s got a long way to go, mind. She's got infections that still need to clear."  
"I understand."  
"And she's under heavy sedation, but you can go and see her."  
Ann felt her hearth thumping. "Thank you."  
Cal turned to the room. "Sorry, but just one visitor at a time, please.”  
Ann turned around, looking at her friends. Her tear-stained face wasn’t the only one in the room. They were all nodding and motioning for her to go.  
“Go to your girl,” Donna said, her voice shaking slightly.  
“Send her our love,” Ron added without hesitation. Ann saw April look at him.  
Ann gave him a small smile and a nod before following the doctor to see her wife.

***

The fog was thick and heavy.

Leslie had never felt pain like it before. She remembered the pain- that much was clear. But now, it felt more like a dull twinge, and she wondered vaguely if she was dead. She also felt nausea. Not pleasant. Maybe she _was_ dead.  
But then Ann, her beautiful desert fox of a wife, would be by herself, and that simply would not do.  
She blinked through the fog, through the cotton wool brain and the ache in her side. When she opened her eyes, she was immediately infiltrated by a bright light. There was a strong pressure coming from somewhere. Her hand. Someone was holding her hand- gripping it tightly.  
She moaned, and then she heard a sharp intake of breath. 

“Shh, hey," said a gentle voice beside her. "You’re okay."

After a short struggle, Leslie opened her eyes fully and was so relieved to see her wife beside her. Ann was apparently relieved as well because her eyes were swimming with tears. She squeezed her hand again, and Leslie relished the contact.  
“Hi,” Ann whispered, her voice shaky. “Hi, honey.”  
Leslie smiled at her tiredly. _“Ann.”_  
Hearing her wife say her name- something she wasn’t sure would ever happen again- Ann felt her body go weak. She managed to nod; her eyes teary.  
“God, _I love you so much._ ”  
“You're _here_."  
"Huh?"  
"Love you too,” Leslie murmured. She tried to move, but then Ann was shaking her head and pushing her gently back down.  
“Try not to move, baby. You're not well.”  
“Sorry.”  
Leslie lay back, still feeling that twinge in her stomach. Ann sat back too, but then her hand was back in Leslie’s. She couldn’t remember why she was in the bed- only pain.

“What happened?”  
“You had to have an operation,” Ann explained. “Your appendix ruptured.”  
Leslie nodded slowly. “That makes sense. I remember the pain.” Ann winced, and Leslie’s face fell. “I’m sorry.”  
“Don’t be sorry, you’ve not got anything to be sorry for,” Ann told her gently, her hand automatically moving to stroke her hair.  
“I didn’t realise I was hurting. I’ve been so busy.”  
“I know,” Ann told her. “I know, Leslie.”  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie repeated, her voice shaking. Ann shushed her gently.  
"Try not to panic, okay?" Ann took a long intake of breath. “You can probably still feel the pain- it was a little touch and go for a while. They… they lost you once.”  
Leslie let that information wash over her. Then she was groaning as she shifted to put her hand on Ann’s face. Ann was protesting, but she ignored her, brushing her hand along her cheek.  
“I’m sorry I worried you,” Leslie said again. “I didn’t plan on it.” Ann laughed shakily, moving to kiss Leslie’s outstretched hand.  
“I know, darling.”  
“Ann, this is the universe telling you to carry the baby,” Leslie said weakly. “My body probably can’t handle it.”  
“Shh, don’t be silly.”  
“Still, though. I know we were right to pick you. I want it to be you.”  
The two women looked at each other. Leslie nodded once, and Ann nodded back.  
“Okay,” Ann whispered.  
Leslie smiled. “Good.”

They sat in silence for a second, Ann absent-mindedly rubbing her thumb across Leslie’s palm. Leslie was feeling pretty out of it, but having Ann there was helping.  
“Everyone was here, but they had to go home, it’s been a while. But they all send their love.”  
Leslie smiled. “Aw.”  
Ann decided not to mention how incredibly stressful the last few hours had been. The day, really. It was now four in the morning. They had waited in that room for hours, and she had been sat with Leslie, waiting for her to wake up, for about four hours. She was exhausted. She was crying a little, as well. A steady stream of tears for a long time.

“Are you okay?” Leslie asked her. “No, you're crying...I’m so sorry.”  
“I’m fine,” Ann insisted. "I'm so much better now."  
Leslie shook her head, squeezing Ann’s hand weakly. “Ann.”  
She couldn’t think of a compliment to give her- her brain was filled with mush. Ann seemed to catch this, because she gave her a sad smile.  
“I’m just so glad you’re okay. I'm tired, and pretty emotional right now, but... better."  
Leslie nodded. She had a strange look on her face.  
“What is it?” Ann asked.  
“I saw my Dad,” Leslie said, looking at Ann skeptically. But Ann didn’t tell her she was stupid. She didn’t say she was wrong, she just inhaled sharply.  
“Really? What happened?”  
“We were dancing in the rain, like I did with him as a kid. But then I came back because I missed you. I kept asking _where is she_ , and... my Dad vanished.”  
Leslie finished the story with a shaky in-breath.  
"Oh, honey..." Ann could feel her heart thumping wildly in her chest. The doctor had said that they had lost her once, was that what it had felt like for her? And she came back because she missed her…  
Ann wanted to ask Leslie more questions but could see Leslie’s eyes drooping.  
“I’m so tired,” Leslie murmured. "And I sort of feel like I'm going to be sick."  
"Do you think you will?" Ann asked. "Should I get a nurse?"  
Leslie shook her head. "I'm okay."  
Ann smiled at her, before leaning over to kiss her forehead.  
“Go back to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”  
Leslie sighed softly. "Thank you, Ann."

Leslie fell asleep to her wife stroking her hair. Ann was reeling from everything, but she had Leslie beside her- alive- and that was all that mattered for now.


	61. Never Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get worse before they get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is upsetting but has a hopeful ending. After this chapter things will be going smoothly again for these guys I promise. I'm also trying to work out how many more chapters I should write before the ending, we'll see.

Ann managed to get some sleep. She didn’t know how, but she managed it. And when she woke up again, it was just before ten in the morning.   
She looked over and saw Leslie was sleeping peacefully, and she felt a small jolt of relief. She kept expecting it all to be a dream, or to wake up in that horrible waiting room. Or for Leslie to be gone. But she was here.  
She had spoken to a nurse after Leslie had gone to sleep a few hours before, who explained that it would be a rough recovery, as Leslie had an infection in her blood. She was on strong antibiotics, but it was going to be a long ride.  
Ann squeezed her eyes shut, thinking about how unfair this all was.  
They were meant to be starting a family. Having a baby.

It terrified her how close she had come to losing her wife. It was unbearable to think of, but it was also all she could think of.

Leslie moaned beside her, quietly at first, so Ann thought she had imagined it. Then she moaned again, and Ann jerked to attention, moving to grab her hand.  
Leslie opened her eyes.  
“Are you okay?” Ann asked quickly. Leslie squinted at her, confused, so Ann took a breath before speaking again. “Hi, honey. Are you okay?”   
Leslie swallowed. _“Hurts.”_  
“I know,” Ann soothed. “I’ll get a nurse.”   
Ann stood quickly, mind whirring. Leslie seemed worse now than she did the night before. Maybe the painkillers had worn off, or maybe she needed antibiotics. But just seeing her in this state was so painful that Ann was almost beside herself.

She pressed the call button. Leslie threw up.   
“I’m so sorry.”  
Ann tried not to cry again.   
“Don’t say sorry, it’s okay.”  
She pressed the call button again. The nurse came. Did a check. Gave Leslie more painkillers. Cleaned her up. Left.   
When she sat back down, Leslie looked at her, confusion on her face, and asked her where Ann was. Ann didn’t know what to say.

***

Ann sat there for a long time. Leslie slept for most of the day and well into the night, only waking up for brief, confused intervals. Each time she had a short and painful conversation with her wife, Ann felt both better and worse. Hearing her voice, even for a short amount of time, felt like a blessing now that Ann had nearly faced a world without it.  
“I love you so much, Leslie” Ann whispered. Leslie smiled at her.  
“Love you too.”  
And then she went back to sleep.  
Her friends had been blowing up the group chat, of course. Ann had told them that she was alright, and that there was no point visiting because Leslie was dead to the world right now.

That was the same for the next two days. Two painful days. Ann didn’t know whether to be relieved still, or to embrace the worry biting at her soul. She had barely been home, barely seen anybody. When their friends did show up, the only stayed for a short amount of time. Leslie was never awake when they came, and after a few minutes, it was hard for Ann to think of anything to say to them. Andy had been beside himself when he visited, and Ann was happy to embrace him, squeezing him tightly. April hadn’t seemed to mind. Ben hadn’t known what to say either.   
That nurse was right when she said it would be a rough recovery- Ann had known that already, of course. She had dealt with this before with her time as a nurse. But she hadn’t experienced the other end- the constant worry, the lack of sleep. Not knowing when Leslie would wake up ready to hold a coherent conversation. That first night had been a one off, apparently, because now she was barely talking.   
Thankfully, on the third morning things changed.   
Ann woke up to a soft yet persistent tapping on the door. She looked over at Leslie, who was sleeping still. She looked over at the door, initially confused, until she saw Chris Traeger outside the door, looking as immaculate as ever. Ann hurried over to the door and opened it, yawning.

“Chris?”  
“ _Ann Perkins.”  
_ “What time is it?”  
“8:04,” Chris told her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise you were asleep.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann said tiredly, rubbing her neck. “It’s good to see you.”  
“ _You too_.” He looked past her and into the room, before shaking his head. “This is a bad time.”  
“No, it’s okay,” Ann said slowly, shutting the door so they could speak in the hall. “I haven’t had much conversation recently, even with our friends. Nobody knows what to say.” She sighed. “What’s up?”  
“Well,” Chris started. He looked a little nervous now. “Firstly, I would like to know how Leslie is doing. I know you explained via text message, and I heard from Ben, but I wondered if you would want to talk to someone about it in person?”  
Ann smiled. “Thanks, Chris. There isn’t much to tell, really. She’s fighting off the infection. She nearly died and it’s taking a while to- to sort itself out…”  
Ann didn’t realise she was crying until Chris was bringing her in for a hug. After a second, when they pulled back, he gave her a sad smile.  
“I want you to know that I’m still in. I know that having a baby is _definitely_ not at the forefront of your mind right now, but I’m ready whenever you are.”  
Ann wiped her eyes, smiling at him. “ _Chris_. Thank you so much. Thank you.”  
 _“Any time.”_

***

When Ann re-entered the hospital room, she was surprised to see that Leslie was awake and smiling at her. She looked tired and pale, but she was _smiling._  
“Leslie!” Ann said in a hushed tone, hurrying over to the bed and kissing her. “How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”  
“I’m okay,” Leslie told her.  
“You sure?”  
Leslie nodded. “I’m sure. Not that much pain at the minute.”  
“Good. That’s good.”   
“How are you, Ann? My beautiful wife?”   
Ann wiped a few tears away and smiled at her. “Better now I’m talking to you.”  
Leslie smiled at her, and Ann could have melted. Leslie looked over at Ann’s pop-up bed and her face fell. “You’re staying here? How long has it been?”  
“This is the third day,” Ann told her, saddened by Leslie’s look of shock. “You’ve been sleeping mostly.”  
Leslie nodded slowly. “You don’t have to stay, Ann.”  
Ann frowned at her. “Leslie.”  
“I mean it! I’m being all boring in bed. You probably want to-” she adjusted slightly, wincing. “-do something else.”  
Ann rolled her eyes. “Leslie, being away from you is the _last_ thing I want right now, _okay_?”  
Leslie didn’t argue back, she just nodded. They shared a look, and it was a look of understanding. And, after a second, she carried on as normal.

“Was that Chris outside? His voice is so energetic it can cut through walls.”   
Ann nodded. “He was checking in. A few people have- and the group chat is always going off. Everyone is sending love.” Ann reached over and took Leslie’s hand. “And listen. Chris told me he’s still in. Whenever we’re ready, we can do it.”  
“Make a baby?” Leslie asked, and Ann smiled at her softly.  
 _“Make a baby.”_  
Leslie smiled widely, before her face fell. “Don’t stop on my account, okay?”  
“What do you mean?”   
“I’m probably going to be in here for a while, right?”  
Ann hesitated. “A few weeks, yeah.”  
Leslie winced. “God. No work?”  
“You _know_ that means no work.”  
“Okay, well… you guys should carry on, if you want to. Don’t wait for me. I know you want to be pregnant as soon as possible.”  
“Leslie…”

“Do whatever you want, I mean,” Leslie insisted. “We can wait, or you can go for it. You have my blessing.”  
“Listen,” Ann told her. “I’m not doing anything until you’re better, okay?”  
Leslie frowned. “Is that really what you want?”  
“It is. I promise.”  
Leslie pouted, and Ann chuckled a little and squeezed her hand, before kissing it. “This is the longest we’ve talked in a while.” Her voice lowered. “I’ve been worried. You were really out of it.” _And in pain_ , she added mentally.  
Leslie frowned. “I’m sorry. I don’t really remember. Just a lot of foggy pain and stuff.”  
“That’s okay,” Ann soothed, before something in her brain clicked. “Do you remember telling me about your Dad?”  
Leslie yawned. “I don’t think so?”   
Ann hesitated, before smiling. “It doesn’t matter. Do you need to get some more sleep? I hope you’re not staying up just to talk to me,” she added.  
“I like talking to you. You’re nice.” Ann rolled her eyes, and Leslie groaned dramatically. “But I just woke up!” She paused to yawn, and Ann beamed inwardly. “Okay,” Leslie conceded. “Maybe you’re right.”  
“I _am_ a nurse.”  
“The best nurse ever,” Leslie mumbled as she settled down against the pillows. “And I love you so much.”  
Ann would never take those words for granted. “I love you too.”

***

 **I hope Leslie is doing better. (Sent 8:56)  
And hasn’t been eaten by a witch. (Sent: 8:56)  
**Ann smiled at her phone. Getting non-aggressive texts from April was always a pleasant surprise. But, then again, after their encounter in the bathroom, Ann knew that their friendship had evolved. Maybe April wouldn’t admit it, but the care they had for each other went both ways.  
 **Thank you, April. (Sent 8:57)  
Andy has written her a get well soon song. It’s better than the entire discography of The Beatles. (Sent: 8:57)  
That’s really sweet! And I don’t doubt it. (Sent: 8:58)  
Better than your terrible music taste, too. (Sent: 8:58)  
Noted. (Sent 8:58)**

A few hours passed, and then Ann had another visitor in the form of a surprisingly quiet Ron Swanson. He knocked politely on the door, and Ann stood to greet him.  
“Hey, Ron!” she said in a hushed tone, grinning at him.  
Ron nodded at her. “Perkins.” He remained awkwardly stood in the doorway. “It occurred to me that you might want some time to go home and get supplies, or… something of that ilk. I’m here to relieve you.”  
Ann’s breath caught, and she looked at him with a soft smile on her face. _“Ron.”  
_ Ron waved her off. “Enough. You are free to go.”  
Ann raised her eyebrows. “Yes boss.”  
She turned to leave, thinking that she could get some shopping done, maybe take a long shower. She felt (and probably looked) super gross and knowing that Leslie wouldn’t be alone made her feel a lot better. Before she left, she gave Leslie a quick kiss, hesitating slightly.  
“I’ll be here,” Ron said quietly, and Ann nodded.  
“I know. It’s just… hard to go. You know?”  
“I know.”

Ann left, and Ron lowered himself into the chair, already feeling a little out of depth. But he wanted to be here. He had thought about this all day at work, for the past few days in fact- thinking about visiting her. And now he was here.   
It wasn’t long before Leslie was stirring, and Ron shuffled awkwardly in his chair. She opened her eyes and looked at him, blearily, before smiling softly.  
“Hey,” she mumbled.   
Ron cleared his throat. “Good afternoon.”   
“It’s good to see you.”  
Ron didn’t hesitate. “It’s good to see you too.”   
Leslie shifted awkwardly, biting her lip as she did so, before looking at him. “Where did Ann go?”  
“Your other half has gone to do a few things. Mainly shower.”  
Leslie chuckled. “I’m glad. I don’t like thinking of her just sitting here. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to sit still.”  
Ron didn’t doubt that. He remembered how she was when Ann was in the hospital after the car accident. A nervous wreck, amongst other things.

“How are you feeling?” he asked her.   
“Shitty,” she said with a laugh. “Full of pain and infection.”  
Ron sighed. “That is unfortunate. You’re facing a long recovery. I trust you’re going to stick to the doctor’s orders?”  
“I’m not going to try and _escape_ to do _work_ , Ron, if _that’s_ what you think.”  
“I wouldn’t put it past you.”  
“I’m not bothered about that,” Leslie said honestly. “I feel terrible, I won’t be doing work for a while. I just want to make sure… _other plans_ aren’t put on hold.”  
“This sounds like personal business territory,” Ron forced out.  
“Ann and I want to have a baby,” Leslie said without hesitation. “And I want to make sure she doesn’t put that on hold just because of me. We have a willing sperm donor, and I don’t want her to have to wait any longer.”  
Ron hummed thoughtfully. “Well, I suppose congratulations are in order.”  
“Thank you!”   
“But if Ann waits, it will be because she wants to concentrate on you. Don’t feel bad for people wanting to take the time to look after you, Leslie. We all… care about you.”  
Leslie smiled at him. “Thank you, Ron. Not just for that. Thank you for being there for me when it happened.” She shuffled awkwardly. “Calling the ambulance and stuff. And for being there for Ann. She didn’t tell me that specifically, I just don’t doubt that you were.”  
Now it was Ron’s turn to awkwardly shuffle. He cleared his throat again. “You’re welcome.”  
Leslie smiled at him. A radiant smile. “I love you.”  
Ron frowned so hard even his eyebrows looked angry. “Get some rest.”  
Leslie laughed. “Okay, boss.”  
She fell asleep, and Ron sat with her until Ann came back. Leslie Knope would never be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :))


	62. Unexpected Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie gets some news she doesn't like. Ann has an appointment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot believe the length of this fic now, over 100,000 words!!!

“Hey, listen.”  
Ann was perched on the edge of Leslie’s bed, flicking through the channels. Leslie smiled inside when she immediately spun around to face her.  
“Yeah? What’s up?”  
Leslie had to properly smile now. “I… I just wanted to thank you for always being here the past few weeks. I know it’s been really hard, not getting to go home as much and, well…”  
Ann frowned. “Leslie, of course I’m here. Where else would I be?”  
Leslie shrugged. “You’re a nurse, Ann. You’ve basically spent all your time in a hospital the past few weeks, or in City Hall. And even I know you need time at home sometimes. Well, _you_ taught me that.”  
Leslie was right that it had been difficult to balance her two jobs and visiting her wife in hospital. But Ann wouldn’t have it any other way. And she told her as much.  
“Besides,” Ann told her. “I know you must be going crazy in here.”  
Ann had allowed her to get some _light_ work done in the hours where nobody could visit. Leslie had taken that allowance as an excuse to try and do as much as possible, and once or twice Ann had had to remind her she was still sick.  
“It’s been difficult, yes,” Leslie replied slowly. “I still don’t know _where_ you hid that binder.”  
“You’ll get it back when we get home,” Ann told her. “Two weeks in hospital, and a week at home. I’m genuinely surprised you’ve lasted this long.”  
“It must be your influence, changing me,” Leslie replied with a grin. “But as soon as I am medically allowed, I have seventy-seven new ideas to put forward in City Council.”  
Ann snorted. “Of course you do.”  
“I’m serious, Ann! I am going to use my cool position to make positive change.”  
Ann leaned forward and kissed her. “As always.”

They looked at each other, smiling. Then Leslie was shifting awkwardly, and Ann frowned again. She knew that look- Leslie wanted to tell her something.  
“What is it?”  
“Well…” Leslie smiled. “Since I’m out of the woods, I was thinking that you and Chris should start looking into fertility. You’ve been an angel and I just want you to get back to doing what you planned. You’ve waited long enough.”  
Ann let out a breath. “Are you sure?”  
Leslie smiled at her. “I’m more than sure.” She nudged her good-naturedly. “If you don’t do it then I will. I’m kidding, I know you want to be pregnant. But seriously, you can.”  
Ann grinned at her, leaning over to give her a kiss. “This is amazing. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
Things were finally looking up.

***

Or were they?

Well, some of them were, definitely.  
Leslie was getting ready to leave hospital, and Ann and Chris had got their first appointment at the clinic.  
“So, are you two a couple?” the nurse asked Ann and Chris. They looked at each other.  
“Actually, we’re both in relationships,” Ann told her. “My wife can’t be here today, and neither can his boyfriend, but we’re good friends.”  
Chris nodded eagerly, and the nurse smiled. “Well, that’s nice.”  
“Yeah,” Ann said, smiling back. “It is.”

When Ann and Chris left the appointment, with Chris talking non-stop about their plans, something caught Ann’s eye on the TV in the waiting room.  
She felt her stomach drop.  
“Chris,” she whispered. “ _Look_.”  
Chris saw, and fumbled for the TV remote. He turned up the volume just as Perd came back on the screen.  
_“If one thing is clear from the protests outside City Hall today campaigning to remove Leslie Knope from office due to her not being here, it’s that Leslie Knope is not here.”  
_Ann and Chris looked at each other, before each of them scrambled for their phones. Ann had seventeen missed calls from Leslie, and the group chat was blowing up.  
“We need to get back to the hospital,” Ann said quickly. Chris nodded.  
_“I agree.”_

***

Ben was in the room with Leslie, and they were in an intense shouting match.  
“BEN! I need to get down to City Hall RIGHT NOW!”  
“Leslie, I don’t think that’s going to make a difference now! Besides, you haven’t even been discharged, and-”  
Ann heard that much from outside the door before she burst in. Both of them whipped to face her. Leslie had been crying, but now she just looked angry.  
“ANN!”  
“I know,” Ann replied, running over to her and bringing her into a hug. “I know.”  
“ _Please_ can somebody tell Leslie we can’t go down to City Hall,” Ben begged, looking like he was about to snap in half from the stress.  
“ _Leslie_ _Knope_ ,” Chris told her. “You still need to rest. Recovery is _very_ important.”  
“Yeah, well so is _keeping my job_ ,” Leslie grumbled back. “I can’t believe this! Did you watch the whole thing?”  
“No…” Ann said. “I came straight here.”  
“They want to recall me because I haven’t been in meetings or public forums for the past two weeks. Apparently nearly dying goes against my promises as a councilor.” She groaned loudly. “The voters just don’t appreciate me, guys.”  
Ann watched her, face creased with worry. Leslie hadn’t been this worked up in weeks, even with everything going on.  
Ann looked at Ben and Chris. “Will you guys give us a minute?”  
The two men nodded, before leaving the hospital room.

Leslie was still fuming, and Ann could feel the anger radiating off her in waves.  
“Leslie, you need to try and calm down. I know you’re angry, but-”  
“But what?! They don’t appreciate me, Ann, and now they’re trying to recall me! I need to get down there and tell them all the reasons why they’re _wrong_.”  
Leslie threw herself up off the bed and onto the floor, but very quickly staggered and would have fallen if it wasn’t for Ann’s quick reaction. She grabbed her, keeping her steady.  
Leslie felt stars in front of her eyes, leaning into Ann for a few seconds before the wave of dizziness passed. She groaned loudly.  
“Okay… maybe not…”  
“You think?!” Ann said, exasperated, helping her back into the bed. “You haven’t got up in two weeks!”  
“Ow,” Leslie moaned, feeling her side. “You’re right, that was a bad idea. Ow.”  
"Are you okay?"  
"I think so. Just hurts a little."  
Ann rubbed her temples, stressed. “Leslie, the main priority is _you_. "   
“I know, but I’m just really scared, Ann!”  
“ _You’re_ scared?” Ann snapped. “You nearly _died_ , Leslie! I've been scared for weeks! And now you’re overdoing it, and I can't see anything else bad happen to you!”

Then Ann burst into stressed tears, and Leslie looked at her, stunned. After a few seconds, she felt the shame hit her, as well as how risky she had just been, and she had to apologise.  
“Ann, I’m so sorry,” Leslie begged. “I’m sorry I did that. That was stupid.”  
“It was so stupid,” Ann said through sobs. Leslie winced a little but opened her arms so Ann could come in for a hug.  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie repeated, her anger gone. “I’m sorry.”  
“I know,” Ann told her. “Just… don’t do that again. Please. I was so worried; I don’t want to feel that again.”  
Leslie nodded. “Okay, Ann. Intelligent Ann with the face of a goddess.”  
Ann laughed into her neck. The two of them hugged for a while. When Ann pulled back, sniffing, Leslie was crying too.  
“I just don’t want to get recalled,” Leslie continued, and Ann nodded.  
“I know. We can figure it out.”  
Leslie nodded at her. Then something clicked in her brain.  
“Wait?! How was the appointment?”  
Ann couldn’t help but grin. “I’ve got my fertility test next week. Then we can basically… try.”  
Leslie gasped. “ _Try_ try?”  
Ann nodded. “Try try.”  
Leslie felt happiness blossom in her stomach. She forgot all about the recall when she saw Ann’s genuine smile. No matter what happened, she and her wife were about to start a new adventure.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	63. Worth It In My Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie is back home and she's down in the polls.

“Are you sure you don’t want a welcome home party?” Ann asked Leslie sadly as they pulled up outside their house.  
“I’m sure,” Leslie replied. “I just want us tonight. I’m tired.”  
Ann looked at her before nodding. “Okay.”  
“Maybe I’ll see them over the next few days.”  
Ann smiled at squeezed her hand. “I’m sure you will.”  
Leslie smiled back, before looking away. Ann sighed inside.  
It had been a difficult couple of days. While they were riding high from the news that soon they could start trying for a baby, Leslie was crushed from the news that the town wanted to recall her. She had worked so hard, and now all she wanted to do was work hard again. But that wasn’t allowed to do any hard work for another week, so she felt like she was, in her own words “stuck in recall limbo.”

Ann unlocked the door to their house, smiling as she watched Leslie walk inside. It had been too long since the two of them were home together, and she couldn’t help but feel quite emotional.  
Leslie must have sensed it, because she turned around to face her, a smile on her face.  
“Hi,” she said softly.  
“Hey,” Ann said with a soft laugh.  
The two kissed softly.  
“So can I start work now? I’m back home.”  
Ann rolled her eyes. “No, Leslie. We’ve been over this. You can do some _light_ work starting tomorrow.”  
“But Ann! I don’t even know how to do light work! I go hard, you know that!”  
“Please,” Ann said to her. “For me, can you follow the doctor’s orders? I know it’s hard, but I really think you should do as they say. Okay?”  
Leslie let out a long sigh, and Ann almost laughed at how difficult she was being.  
“Okay. But while this goes on, the townspeople just want to recall me more. That’s tough, Ann.”  
“I know,” Ann replied, rubbing her shoulder. “I know it is.”

With that conversation out of the way, the two of them settled down to have a quiet night. It felt so good to be together again, properly. Ann was exhausted, and she knew Leslie was as well (even if she did her best to hide it) so they cooked something easy and settled into bed quite early.  
“Hey,” Ann said, turning to face her. “It’s gonna be okay.”  
“It will,” Leslie insisted. “I would just rather it hadn’t happened. Like a lot of things recently.”  
Ann leaned over and kissed her. “You’re strong, Leslie. Stronger than you think. I mean, it hurts to even think about it, but you were so ill, but you fought it and came back to me. That says something about you. And if these guys want to recall you, I know you’re going to continue to be strong whatever happens.”  
Leslie let out a long sigh. “Thank you, Ann. Whatever happens, I have you. And that’s all I care about really.” She paused. “Okay, that was meant to be romantic, but I do actually care about my career a lot.”  
Ann laughed out loud. “I know, honey.”

They snuggled down together under the covers together, feeling the waves of relief and happiness.  
“Hey, Leslie?” Ann asked into the darkness. It had been a few minutes of quiet, so Leslie was surprised to hear her speak.  
“Yeah?”  
“I wasn’t sure whether or not to tell you, but on the night it happened, you told me you dreamt of your Dad.”  
Leslie was quiet for a while, and Ann was worried for a second that she had spoken out of turn.  
“I do remember,” Leslie said quietly. “At first I didn’t, but then I remembered it slowly. And I wanted to find you and you weren’t there.”  
Ann kissed her gently, finding her lips in the darkness. “I’m here.”  
“I know,” Leslie whispered. “I know.”

***  
The next week was long and boring. Leslie did as much work as she could from home, getting visits from each of the Parks gang in turn. April seemed much more comfortable visiting her in her own home rather than in hospital, and she and Andy stayed for quite a few hours that Tuesday.  
Ben was also a frequent visitor, not just because Chris insisted on coming round every day to talk to them about fertility, but also because he wanted to speak to Leslie about her plans for the recall, and her recovery. It was a difficult conversation, but it was clear that all her friends were going to help her fight this, whatever happened.  
Ron also came round- he didn’t say much about the recall other than giving Leslie a firm pat on the shoulder. By Swanson standards, that was like a big hug. And Leslie appreciated it. It was great that she had such supportive friends in a time like this. And a supportive wife, obviously. That went without saying. Ann had been incredible throughout all of this, and everything before it.

“I just worry,” Leslie told her. “That if I get voted out, all of that stress we went through in the campaign will have been for nothing. “We had so much worry to deal with, and now it might be worthless.”  
“Hey!” Ann exclaimed. “You’ve been on the council for a year, remember. You’ve made so much change already, and I know that you will continue to do so.”  
“That’s… true.”  
“Besides,” Ann said to her, taking her hand and squeezing it. “It was your _dream_. So, it was worth it in my eyes, okay?”  
Leslie smiled at her. “Okay.”  
"We had fun. We fell in love in that campaign."  
"We did."  
“And hey... don’t worry about the meeting tomorrow. Okay, I know you will, but just go into it with your signature Leslie Knope charm and it’ll all be fine.”  
“I love you,” Leslie told her firmly. “You radiant moon goddess.”  
“I love you too, weirdo.”

***

Leslie walked into the meeting with her head held high. It was her first day back at work, but she was going into it head on with confidence. She had the support of her friends and family on her side, and she wasn’t going to let this recall scare her.  
Stepping up to the podium felt unusual after being away from it for so long. She stared out at the faces of Pawnee- the faces of the people who wanted her gone.  
_“Ms Knope!”_ somebody from the Press called out to her. _“What is your response to the fact that you’re currently way down in the polls!”  
“How do you want to explain your absence?!”  
“Is it true that Paunch Burgers are bad for you? If you tell me that they are, I won’t vote for you.”  
_Leslie needed to focus. She needed to prove that she was better than all of this.  
“Good morning, everybody. I was off for a while due to an unexpected illness but I’m back now.” Leslie took a deep breath. “Okay, I want you all to tell me your concerns. I’m here to listen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much


	64. Baby Making/Recall Vote Event of the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann thought baby making was meant to be sexy. Leslie deals with the recall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things:  
> -Sorry I haven't posted in a few days, this chapter is nice and long to make up for it  
> -I realise now I barely mentioned the merger, it has happened in this universe we have to assume haha, apologies for that but yeah it did happen  
> -Thank you to Rashidaamy for being a rock for me this week, had a really bad one but she's been great as always. <3

The recall campaign had been going on for a few weeks. It was nearing the end, and Leslie’s filibuster had gone down well for the people of Eagleton, even if it had meant a difficult decision for Leslie. She wanted to so badly win the recall election, but she wasn’t going to risk the voting rights of the former Eagletonians, so that had led to her skating filibuster disaster. Things were just as chaotic as ever.   
Meanwhile, Ann and Chris had been attending fertility appointments, doing blood tests for Chris, ultrasound sessions for Ann… everything leading up to the IVF. It had been a busy time for everybody, and Leslie and Ann were so happy that they could rely on their friends to keep them grounded. Ben in particular was being such a big support, and Leslie really valued not only his friendship, but his vital insight and managing of the recall campaign. 

One night, Leslie and Ann had some time to themselves. Leslie was fully recovered now, thank god, and that meant that they could touch each other without Ann worrying, as Ann had been in the first week or so after Leslie got home. It had been quite a stress on both of them, they were both desperate to feel each other, but Leslie was tired and still in pain, so Ann had held off. But not now.  
Leslie had felt like she had to beg Ann, who was still worried about hurting her.  
“I promise I’m fine,” Leslie told her. “And if I feel any pain, I’ll ask you to stop.”  
“Okay,” Ann whispered. “Okay.”  
Ann had wanted this for a long time, so as soon as she knew Leslie was okay, things quickly escalated.  
The soft kisses turned passionate, and soon all their clothes were on the floor. Light brushes of Leslie’s fingertips on Ann’s back became desperate and needy- their nails dug into each other as their kisses became hot and heavy. Leslie bit Ann's lip, and Ann groaned in pleasure. Leslie relished that sound.   
_"Do that again,"_ Ann begged.   
Their hands were everywhere on each other, teeth gracing skin, hands on each other, craving mouths. Leslie felt no pain, only the good kind, and then pleasure. They felt the rolls of bliss for what felt like hours.  
After they were done, they lay in bed, panting.   
“I love you,” Ann gasped.   
“I love you too,” Leslie told her. “I know they say this kind of thing stops after you have a baby, but we’re not gonna let that happen.”  
“Oh really?” Ann said with a laugh.   
“Really. It’s just too good, Ann!”  
And Ann had to agree.

***

The next day, Leslie, Ann, Ben and Chris were in the hospital, as the procedure was finally happening to get the eggs fertilized. Leslie was acutely aware that, after this process, there would be a few days before they were injected into Ann, and even then, it would take around two weeks to see if it had been successful.   
And, if her mathematics was correct, it would put their pregnancy announcement slap bang on the date of the recall vote. That really _would_ be a cruel twist of fate.   
She stood in the waiting room, pacing up and down and thinking.   
“You okay?” Ben asked. “It’s just a quick procedure, Ann will be fine.”  
“I know, I know,” Leslie told him. “Just a lot going on right now, y’know? I’m down in the polls…”  
“You’ve done nothing but good for this town,” Ben reminded her. “And we’re working hard so you continue to work for them. But that filibuster was the right thing to do, Leslie. We were so proud of you. All of us.”  
“I know Ben,” Leslie said with a smile. “And thank you so much for your help through all this. I just wish the only thing I could focus on was my wife getting pregnant. But, of course, there’s more to it. There always is. And it wasn’t like I was going to put my own life on hold for these people, we deserve to start a family. I just wish it could be my only focus.”  
“I know,” Ben replied, standing to give her a hug. “But I know that, once this is all successful, this baby is going to be so happy. Whether you’re on the council or not, you two deserve to be parents. You’re going to be the best. I swear.”  
Leslie smiled at him. “Aw, Ben. Thank you for saying that.”  
They smiled at each other.  
"Chris and I are going to be great at keeping this a secret. It feels so special, I'm so happy for you guys."  
"Thank you," Leslie said honestly. "I know it must be weird for you guys."  
"Nah," Ben said with a smile. "Not at all."  
That was when Ann came out of the room, a little groggy but smiling at them. Leslie ran to greet her.   
“ANN!” They kissed. “How do you feel?”  
“Alright!” Ann replied. “No cramps or anything. I read that that happens after egg collection, but I’m okay.”  
“Good,” Leslie said, kissing her again.  
“I was just telling Leslie that no matter what happens with the recall, you guys are gonna be the best parents ever,” Ben said with a smile. Ann smiled at him.  
“And you’re right.”  
“I _couldn’t agree more_ ,” Chris said, popping up from nowhere. Leslie felt that rush of happiness. They were right- whatever happened, they were going to have a baby.

***

A week and a half before the recall election, Ann had taken hormones via injection to prepare her womb to receive the embryo. All too soon, Ann was back in the hospital for the embryo transfer.   
She had to laugh at the situation- Leslie had had phoned her from the car saying that she had abandoned Ben to finish taking questions at a recall event because she wanted to be there.  
When she burst in- just on time- she looked very flustered.  
“Sorry babe! I’m here!”  
“Leslie!” Ann said to her, surprised. “You left early, won’t that damage the polls?”  
“Oh, I got that one in the bag. You should have seen me, Ann! I wrote that speech at 3am, but it was the best speech I’ve ever given, honest. Besides, I need to be there for you. It’s more important.”  
Ann grinned at her. It was quite amazing to see, really. Her wife was dealing with a recall vote in the job of her dreams, but less and less it seemed to matter. Or rather, it mattered a lot, but Leslie was so invested in their new baby. It was like she put one hundred percent into the recall and somehow, also put one hundred percent into this process. You had to give it to her- she was good.  
"Are you excited to have a _catheter in your vagina_?"  
"Hell no. I thought baby-mkaing was meant to be sexy."  
"You can make it sexy!" Leslie replied. "You're the sexiest land mermaid I've ever seen. That catheter won't know what hit it."  
Ann grimaced. 

***

Before they knew it, the embryo transfer was complete. The two women left the hospital buzzing with excitement. In a few short weeks they would know if it was successful, and then they would be _pregnant.  
_ "Can you believe it?!" Leslie yellled as they got to the car. "There might be a little baby in there, an _Ann_ baby!"  
 _"Our_ baby," Ann corrected.  
"Of course _our_ baby. Ann- it's the event of the year!"  
Ann laughed. "Is it the event of the year? I thought that was the recall vote."  
"That's a close second. Lot's going on for us right now."  
“The timing isn’t perfect, I have to admit,” Ann said.  
“Oh, I’m aware,” Leslie replied. “Nothing to be done about it, I guess.”  
Ann squinted at her wife. Leslie felt her gaze and turned to look at her. “What?”  
“I don’t know,” Ann said, a small smile on her face. “You’ve changed.”  
Leslie’s eyes widened in shock. “Changed? Changed how?”  
“Not in a bad way,” Ann said quickly. “I don’t know. You’ve put your life and soul into this recall election. You’ve done your Leslie Knope magic and you’ve been putting out fires as they appear, you’ve been working hard. But you’re also calm. You don’t have to pretend to be, if you’re not. I know being City Councillor is your dream, babe.”  
“It is,” Leslie insisted. “But so is this. Doing this with you.” She took one hand off the wheel to find Ann’s hand and squeeze it briefly. “I know things will be fine.”  
Ann grinned, before her face fell. “I know they will too. It’s just… I have been thinking. If I don’t get pregnant…”  
“Where’s this come from?” Leslie asked her in concern.   
“Nothing,” Ann promised. “I just know these things don’t always work.”  
“Then we’ll try again,” Leslie told her. “We’ll try again and again if we have to. We’re in this together, Ann. The two of us.”  
Ann gave her a warm smile. “I know. And I’m in this recall election with you. Whatever happens, baby, you’re gonna be just fine.”

***

They bought seven pregnancy tests. They took one every day after the first week, still nothing. And Leslie had to laugh at her life. The last pregnancy test, which Ann had discreetly gone to take, was on the final day of the recall election. They were about to spend the whole day campaigning their asses off. Leslie had seemed distracted all day, Ann could tell. It had been an incredibly stressful time for her. Ann could tell she was itching to get out there and batter that last day of the campaigning, to save her job.   
“But first, we do this,” Leslie said to her.   
“Are you sure you want to do this first?” Ann said to her. “Whatever the result is, it might just distract you. Why don’t we do it tonight, after this is all over? The most important thing today is you, and your campaign.”  
Leslie hesitated. “Okay. Okay, you’re right.”  
So the day progressed. Leslie, Ann, and the entire department worked hard to encourage people to vote for Leslie. And there were a lot of Knope badges- Leslie and Ben had done a brilliant job, as per.

After it was over, the lot of them were in the Parks department, waiting for the results.   
“It’s over now,” Leslie whispered to her. “We could be here a while waiting for the results, you should go and do it now.”  
“Are you sure?” Ann asked her. Leslie nodded.  
“I’m sure- the campaigning is over now. I know you’re dying to know, too.”  
“Okay,” Ann said with a smile on her face.   
“Do you need me to come too?” Leslie asked, but Ann could see the way her eyes were darting over to the TV screen. Not deliberately, of course, but Ann knew that she was desperate to know the outcome and watch it all as it progressed. Her hard work.  
“No, you stay here. Watch the vote. I’ll be back soon.”  
They kissed, and Ann left. April watched her go, before looking at Leslie.  
“Where’s Ann going? Not that I care.” Leslie licked her lips nervously.   
“Coffee,” she blurted. “She wants coffee.”

***

Ann returned within minutes, just as there was a big commotion on the screen.   
_“Leslie Knope has been voted out of office.”_  
Ann felt her stomach drop. No. Surely not.   
She watched as everybody turned to look at Leslie, whose face was frozen.  
“I… what did it say?”  
 _“I will repeat it again for dramatic effect- Leslie Knope has been voted out of office.”  
_ Someone- Andy, Ann thought- fumbled with the remote before turning off the TV.  
The silence was deafening. Ann urged her legs to move, and walked slowly over to her wife, putting her hand on her shoulder.   
“Honey…”  
Leslie swallowed, before slowly backing away and running out of the room. Ann felt her heart break.  
She looked at all their friends- all of them looked distraught- before quickly turning and running after her wife. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	65. A Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie is devastated about the recall election. Ann tries to distract her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually wait longer before posting haha this might mean I don't have any ready to post for a few days but I wanted to get this one out

Ann got out into the corridor and looked left and right. She spotted Leslie, already quite a way down the corridor, pacing back and forwards. Ann hurried over to her.  
“Leslie?”  
Leslie looked at her. “Oh, hi Ann. I’m just rethinking my entire life; I’ll be with you in a moment.”  
Ann watched, frowning, as Leslie continued to pace for a minute or two. After a second, Ann reached forwards and put her hand on her shoulder.  
“Can you look at me?” Leslie forced herself to look at her, but Ann could see her mind was somewhere else. “Honey, I’m so sorry.”  
Leslie laughed loudly, and Ann looked at her in surprise. “I’m fine, Ann! This is all fine.”  
Ann squinted at her. “Okay… no.”  
She moved closer to Leslie, before pulling her in for a hug. Leslie responded eagerly, and they hugged for a few minutes. When she pulled back, Leslie was crying, her tears wetting Ann's shoulder. Ann felt her heart break.  
“Okay, okay, let’s find somewhere quiet and we can work through this. Okay?”

***

Ann and Leslie walked in silence. Leslie's breathing was funny, and Ann squeezed her hand tightly, her worry increasing, until they were _finally_ at the mural. City Hall was quiet, there was nobody around. She could tell Leslie was about to start sobbing, so she quickly sat them down just as the dam broke.  
“Oh, honey…”  
Leslie cried and cried, and Ann rubbed her back soothingly.  
“I just can’t believe it, Ann! I put my life into this town, and they don’t… they don’t appreciate me!”  
It was so unfair. Ann could feel her blood boiling. Her mind was in so many different places right now, but she had to focus on calming Leslie down.  
“None of this is your fault, okay? You did so well, and you worked so hard. Screw Pawnee.”  
Leslie gasped. “Ann!”  
“It’s true! They should appreciate you for how incredible you are. Because you _are._ ”  
“I know!” Leslie practically shouted, and Ann had to smile. “It was my _dream_ , Ann. Aside from you, obviously.”  
“I know it was so important to you,” Ann told her. “But you can find a new dream, they don’t deserve you. Not at all.”  
“Really?” Leslie asked.  
“Really. You did everything you could, and you’re better than _all_ these bozos.”

Leslie sniffed, a little laugh escaping her. She sat back.  
“Are you okay now?”  
Leslie took a shaky breath started blubbering again. Ann sighed softly.  
“I just _really_ need something to distract me right now,” she wailed. “I need- I need to watch ten seasons of Friends, or maybe live in a hole for seventeen years. I know that wouldn’t be great for you, but it would be so dark and lonely there. And surrounded by soil. _Perfect_.”  
Leslie kept jabbering on, but Ann was thinking hard.  
“A distraction, huh?” Ann said to herself. She cleared her throat. “Well, Leslie, I know now isn’t the best time....”  
“What is it?” Leslie asked, sniffing.  
Ann let out a breath. “Are you ready to be a Mom?”   
“You _know_ I am, Ann,” Leslie said as she wiped her eyes, still crying. “That’s why we asked Chris to be the sperm donor. And then the recall campaign happened.”   
“Honey-”  
“And then went to the hospital you had the procedure.”  
“Leslie-”  
“And then we waited for two weeks.”  
Ann let out a breath of irritation. “Les-”  
“And then every time we did a test, you said it was too early to tell, and then I got _recalled_.”  
Ann laughed inwardly. Leslie had clearly forgotten what Ann was doing _right_ before Leslie got recalled.  
Leslie jolted in surprise when Ann grabbed her shoulders firmly, shutting her up. Her face split into a big grin.

 _““Leslie_. _I’m pregnant.”_

Leslie stopped in her tracks. “Wha- _Huh?_ ”  
“I’m pregnant. I know I didn’t tell you right away, but everyone was there, and you had just found out you’d been voted out so I wanted to calm you down first, but that clearly wasn’t working so I figured _hey_ why not just tell you!” Ann paused. “And now I’m spiraling like you just were. Sorry.”  
Leslie’s mouth was opening and closing like a fish, and Ann wondered if her brain was malfunctioning.  
“Leslie. Leslie?” She frowned. _“Leslie.”_  
“I-” Leslie swallowed, before her eyebrows were raising and her mouth had a small smile of wonder. “Are you serious?”  
“I really am,” Ann whispered. “I’m sorry I put it off. But it felt right at the time.”  
“It’s fine,” Leslie whispered. “We’re going to be parents?”   
Ann nodded. “Yep.”  
“Oh… my goodness. I can’t believe it.”  
The two of them were grinning at each other, and Leslie had never felt so overwhelmed with joy before. Okay, her wedding day. And all the time she spent with Ann Perkins… but this was different.

This was something new- something terrifying. But incredible.

“Wait!” she said loudly, making Ann jump. “I just lost my job, how the hell am I going to-”  
“I’m going to stop you right there,” Ann said sternly. “ _Don’t_ think about that, okay?”  
“But-”  
“You’re _Leslie Knope_ , you’re going to figure that out, I promise you. We will together. But I bet you’re going to do it all on your own. And I’m going to watch you do it and be so proud of you.”  
Leslie sighed. “Thank you. I’m sorry, I _am_ over the moon right now, but…”  
“I know,” Ann told her, squeezing her hand. “I _know_ , okay?”   
And then Ann was grinning again, and Leslie couldn’t help but grin back.   
“WAIT! We can’t tell anyone, right? Not even Ben and Chris?”  
“Not for a few weeks, until the end of the first trimester,” Ann told her. "Just in case." Leslie nodded.  
“Okay. God, it was hard enough lying to the guys about all those doctor’s appointments. I told Ron I played mini golf _every_ single time. He’s going to want to play with me at some point. Hm, I am free next week.” She frowned, and then shook herself. “Oh my god, this is amazing.” She looked at Ann’s stomach. “There’s a _baby_ in there!” She leaned closer. "Hi, baby! I'm your Mom! Well, one of your Moms. You have two."  
Ann had to laugh. “There's a baby in me!”  
“There's a _baby_ in you, Ann! Okay, we need to make a doctor’s appointment. And we have to think about your diet, and how we can reduce stress levels and _god_ we need to look at the schools in Pawnee. They’ve probably changed since I went to them-”  
Ann watched her wife think out loud and had to roll her eyes fondly.   
“We can think about that later.”  
Leslie nodded. “That’s right. Wow, okay.”

She leaned over and kissed Ann with a fiery passion. Ann reciprocated, and the two giggled softly when they pulled back.  
“This doesn’t mean you can’t be sad about the recall,” Ann whispered. “I know you’re devastated.”  
“I… yeah…”  
“But it does feel good to have some good news, right?”  
Leslie let out a shaky breath, looking at her wife in wonder. They kissed again, softly.  
“It really does. God, it does.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	66. Intuition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Leslie try and find a pregnancy routine. Leslie works hard for the council and for her wife.

Leslie and Ann, after what felt like hours, finally returned to the Parks department. Everybody was still there, looking at Leslie with sympathy in their eyes. Ann squeezed Leslie’s hand. She knew Leslie was still upset about what happened, their incredible news couldn’t change that. But it had been the distraction Leslie needed, because she looked at her friends with a smile.  
“Thank you everyone for all your support, I really appreciate it.”  
“Of course,” Ben said quickly. “Always.”  
“ _Ben is right_ ,” Chris added. “We’ll _always_ be there to support you.”  
“Do you want me to kill the whole council?” April drawled.   
“No, you can’t do that!” Andy cut in. “If you go to prison, I won’t have anyone to have marshmallow fights with!” Andy looked at April with such a sad face, and she rolled her eyes, smiling.  
“You’ve got your job here,” Ron told Leslie, putting his hand on her shoulder.   
“Are you sure?” Leslie asked him. “Do you want me to do like an interview or anything?”  
Ron let out a breath through his nose. “Of course not.”  
“You’ve still got a month left on the council,” Ann reminded her. “Still a month to make changes, the Leslie Knope way.”  
Leslie looked at her wife and smiled. “You’re right. I love you.”  
“I love you too!” Andy shouted to her, making April roll her eyes again. Leslie just laughed.  
“And who knows,” Leslie said quietly. “Maybe things are going to look up real soon.”  
Ann smiled at her.

***

When they got home, finally, they sat on the sofa for a long time. The two of them were still in awe. Leslie had so many feelings running through her, and Ann felt the same.   
“Do you need anything?” Leslie asked her.   
“We should probably have something to eat,” Ann told her. “I’ll help you.”  
The two of them made some sandwiches and a mug of tea each, sitting back on the sofa with a sigh.  
“I’m sad, Ann,” Leslie told her. “I’m so happy- I’m walking on air, but…”  
“I know,” Ann replied. “I know it’s hard right now, but all you can do is make this last month count, which I know you will. You’re amazing.”  
“So are you,” Leslie told her. And then she put her hand over Ann’s stomach- hesitantly, questioningly, but Ann smiled, so she put her hand there, gently. “And you’re amazing too,” Leslie whispered. “I already love you so much. And I’m not going to let you down.”  
“You never could,” Ann told her. “Me and the baby agree on this one.”  
“Oh, you do?” Leslie asked wryly. “How do you know the baby isn’t shit scared?”  
“Intuition,” Ann replied smugly. “This little one is proud.”  
Leslie grinned, before leaning over to kiss Ann. “I love you.”  
“I love you too. And it’s okay,” Ann whispered. “You’re allowed to be sad- don’t forget to feel your feelings.”  
“I won’t,” Leslie promised. “Right now, I feel like I want to kiss you.”  
Ann did it for her. “What do you feel now?”  
The two looked at each other, and they both knew what they wanted.

***

Over the next few days, things very quickly got hectic. Ann shouldn’t have been surprised, really. But overnight, Leslie was throwing herself into work (“I only have a month left to make a difference, Ann!”) and _also_ throwing herself into looking after Ann. And at first it was just little things, like an extra cup of tea, or Leslie bringing her another pillow for behind her when they sat up in bed. But that was the first day- by day two, it felt like Leslie was following her around finding tasks to complete.  
“Leslie, I’m pretty sure I can make the _bed_.”   
“Nope! I got there first!”  
Ann sighed a little. If she was going to be like this for the _entire_ pregnancy… in the best possible way, Ann _might_ kill her.

***

Ann woke up in the middle of the night, feeling slightly nauseous. The next thing she noticed was that space next to her was vacant. She got out of bed and headed into the living room to see Leslie surrounded by stacks of paper and binders. _Still_ in her work clothes, except it was 4:00am on a Saturday morning.  
“Ann!” Leslie called. “I thought you went to bed- _wow_ , it’s late. I guess I should say good morning!”  
“Are you coming to bed?” Ann asked with a yawn. She had been tired the past few days- her body was already starting to feel the effects of an extra person. And she wanted to return to the bed as quickly as possible, thank you.  
“Not yet!” Leslie called back excitedly. “I think I’ve solved a tree-planting issue.”  
“That’s great,” Ann said with a slight frown. “Are you going to sleep at any point?”   
“We’ll see, Ann,” Leslie told her. “You should get back to bed though. You need your rest.”  
Ann grunted, before moving into the kitchen to get a glass of water. After a second, she felt the nausea rising, and quickly abandoned the glass of water to go and throw up.

She made it to the toilet in time, and as she was throwing up, she quickly felt Leslie’s hands on her back, holding her hair back.   
“Oh god,” Ann spluttered after it was over. “I did _not_ enjoy that.”  
“Are you okay?” Leslie asked her softly. “Hang on, I’ll grab your water.”  
She was gone for twenty seconds maximum, but Ann still felt happy when she was back. She accepted the water gratefully.   
“I should probably get used to that feeling, huh,” Ann muttered. Leslie made a noise of sympathy.  
“Aw, Ann. I’m sorry.”  
“It’s okay,” Ann told her. “Can we just go back to bed?”  
Leslie hesitated before nodding. “Sure. Let’s go to bed.”  
Leslie got changed quickly, and they got into bed. Ann nestled into Leslie, still feeling a little gross.

When she woke up the next morning, Leslie was there with more water and breakfast.   
“Hi, Ann!” Leslie said cheerfully. “I hope you’re feeling better today. I made you some food.”  
Ann felt a rush of happiness. “Aw, Leslie, that’s lovely. I feel a lot better, thank you.”  
“That’s good.” Leslie got back into bed with her, and Ann watched as she pulled out a binder and started reading through. Leslie must have sensed her watching her though, because then she was turning and giving her a smile. “What’s up?”  
“You’re doing a lot of work lately,” Ann said slowly. “And you’re waiting on me hand and foot. And it’s lovely, I really appreciate it, but have you had any time for yourself?”  
Leslie paused to consider. “I spent some time laminating at one in the morning. That was really relaxing.”  
Ann rolled her eyes, before taking a bite of the waffle. “Leslie, you’ve got to give yourself a break.”  
“No can do, Ann. My beautiful wife is pregnant, _and_ I have a month of City Council left.”  
“How did I know that was going to be your answer?”  
"Intuition?"

***

Leslie worked through the day, stopping every half an hour to check Ann didn’t need anything. And Ann _didn’t_ need anything, because she was fine from the _last_ time Leslie asked, which was only half an hour before.   
After a few hours, with Ann doing some light work on the couch, and Leslie finishing writing on a giant whiteboard even _more_ ideas for City Council, Ann finally heard Leslie yawn. She didn’t know if her wife had slept more than a couple of hours since Ann had told her she was pregnant, and that was four days ago now. She had spent all her time and energy on her wife and work. But now that was going to change.   
She told Leslie she was popping to the shops- Leslie had asked her if she needed assistance, but Ann promised she was fine. When she returned, Leslie was still working, but she had made Ann a fresh cup of tea. Ann felt a rush of love for her wife, yet again.

“Hey, Leslie!”   
Leslie turned around, and Ann could see the bags under her eyes.   
“Hey Ann! How was the store?”  
Ann pulled out a pillow she had bought from Food and Stuff- a _super_ soft one. “I bought this for when I get super pregnant and need extra support. It’s really soft and fluffy. Do you think you could come test it out for me?”  
“Sure!” Leslie said, moving to sit on the sofa. “Yep! Feels comfy- you’re going to love this, Ann!”  
She leapt up again, but Ann grabbed her wrist, stopping her.   
“Can you sit for a second, please? I want a proper review from you, I know you love soft things.”  
Leslie frowned at her, before sitting down. “You’re right Ann, this is really comfy. _Wow_. Yep.”  
Ann watched Leslie sink into the soft cushion, her eyelids drooping. Ann smiled inwardly. Her plan was working.   
“I’m going to make some lunch; do you want some?”  
Leslie looked at her tiredly. “Yes please. Do you need help?”  
Ann laughed. “I got this. I’ll be right back. You just stay there testing out the comfy pillow.”  
She was only gone thirty seconds, and when she returned, Leslie was fast asleep. Ann grinned.  
 _Finally._

***

“Leslie?” Ann whispered gently, moving some of her wife’s hair from her face. Leslie woke up slowly, blinking up at her wife in confusion.   
“Hm?”  
“You’ve been asleep for like ten hours and I think maybe you should come to bed and carry on sleeping there.”   
“WHAT!”   
“I’ve been checking your vitals, you’re totally fine. But here’s some water.”  
Leslie downed the water before jumping up. “Oh my god, Ann, I’m sorry. Do you need anything?”  
“Leslie, I’m _fine_. But you were so overtired you slept for that long… you’ve been overworking yourself.”  
“Pssh, _Ann_.”  
"And so I creatively came up with a way to get you to sleep. Are you proud?"  
Leslie hesitated. "Ann, you're a devious bastard."  
"Just call it intuition."  
"Has your pregnancy given you powers?"  
"I just know you that well, honey."  
"Oh right."

The two of them sat back down again, and Ann took Leslie's hand.  
“Leslie, honey, I _need_ you to _know_ that I’m fine. You don’t need to go crazy for me.”  
“But-”   
“I know I threw up and I'm getting tired, but you do enough for me already without going over the top, okay? I'll tell you if I need things.”  
Leslie let out a long, sad sigh. “Okay.”   
“What is it?” Ann asked, rubbing her arm comfortingly.  
“I wish it was _just_ you, Ann. But… well, I’m leaving City Council soon, and I want to make sure I’ve done as much as possible. To make sure Pawnee is okay. Not just for the people, but for our baby.”  
“I told you that you could never let us down, Leslie. And you won’t. I know you’re going to do whatever you can to make our child happy. And you’ll get a new kick-ass job and change the life of _every_ child in Pawnee, not just ours. Okay?”  
Leslie smiled at her. “Okay.”  
Ann took Leslie’s hand and put it on her stomach again. “The baby loves you so much, I can feel it.”  
“Isn’t that just your love for me?”  
“Nope. It’s something new.”  
The two of them shared a kiss and Leslie sighed happily. “I just need a snack and then I’ll join you in bed, okay?”  
“Sure,” Ann said with a smile.   
“You need anything from the kitchen?” Leslie called as Ann went into the bedroom.   
Ann laughed. “Just you!”  
When Leslie entered, she had a plate of waffles. Ann felt her stomach rumble.  
"How did you know I was hungry?" Ann asked her. " _I_ didn't even know!"  
Leslie laughed. "Just call it intuition."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! <3


	67. Another Secret Is Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann keep the pregnancy a secret, but somebody finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can only apologise for how inconsistent my update schedule is. I'm busy all week and then I write at the weekend and want to get them both out hahaha I'm sorry

Time moved on. Leslie had her last month on City Council. It was bittersweet, and had Leslie questioning many things. Her integrity as a government worker was one of the things that she questioned the most. She even considered running for council again, but Ben and Ann managed to sway her _away_ from that idea. She also had some confrontations with Jamm, which was always interesting.  
And the whole time, another stress, was the fact that Leslie and Ann were keeping the pregnancy a secret. Which was strange because they knew Ben and Chris must be aware. But never once did they ask them, which was quite sweet really.  
“It’s weird,” Leslie told Ann one night as they were lying in bed. “Keeping this secret. It feels like how it did when we started dating. The sneaking around.”  
“That’s true,” Ann said with a grin. “Larry was telling me about his daughters the other day and I really wanted to say something.”  
“Larry wouldn’t be able to keep our secret,” Leslie said straight away.  
“I know,” Ann told her. “I’m sort of excited for when we can tell them, though. I know they’re all going to be so supportive.”  
“Yeah! Only three days to go now."  
"That's crazy," Ann said in awe.  
"Andy and April are going to be great babysitters, I can just tell.”  
Ann frowned a little, not convinced, but Leslie looked so excited that she decided not to comment.  
“And Ron will want to make a crib for the baby I’m sure,” Leslie added. Ann smiled.  
“That’s probably right.” She smiled wider. “We’ve got great friends, huh.”  
“We really do!”

***

Ann had had a bad morning. She was up at five, throwing up in the toilet. Leslie was there with her, like she always was, but Ann could tell it was going to be a bad day when her bones ached.  
“You good?” Leslie whispered.  
“Mhm,” Ann groaned.  
“Aw, honey,” Leslie said softly, rubbing her back. Tiredness seeped into her core, and no amount of comforting words from Leslie were going to change that, unfortunately.   
When she got into work, Leslie gave her a soft kiss before glancing around and kissing Ann’s stomach. Ann had to laugh.  
“If someone caught you doing that-”  
“But nobody’s here, so it’s fine!” Leslie said, chipper as ever. “I hope you have a good day. Take it easy.”  
“I will,” Ann told her.  
“Oh, I think April is popping down later to get a file from you. I’d take it from you now, but she didn’t tell me which one. She’s great- so mysterious!”  
Ann groaned inwardly. “Okay, no problem. I’ll see you later.”  
“See you later, honey.”

***

Ann felt worse by the time April got there.  
“You look weird,” April told her as soon as she walked in.  
“Thanks April,” Ann forced out, standing. “What file did you need?”  
“Are you going to tell me why you look weird?” April grimaced. “You’re all pale, like a dead person.”  
“I’m just tired,” Ann told her.  
But then her vision went out, and in a matter of seconds, she was blinking up at April, who had caught her and was holding her carefully, her expression unreadable.  
“Just tired. _Sure_ ,” April told her, her voice steely. “You just blacked out.”  
Ann groaned. “Oh god…”  
“I caught you and stuff. You’re welcome.”  
April helped Ann back into the chair. Ann let out a long sigh and April shuffled awkwardly. Ann’s water was on the other side of the desk, so April passed it to her wordlessly.  
“Thanks April,” Ann said genuinely.  
“Okay. Should I call Leslie? You should probably go home.”  
Ann felt her stomach sink. This wasn’t going to be good.

***

Leslie didn’t expect a call from April Ludgate at twelve in the morning. And when she answered it, April’s voice sounded nervous. _  
“Hey, uh, Leslie?”  
_“Yeah?” Leslie asked, frowning. “You’ve called me. Do you _know_ you’ve called me?”  
_“Yeah.”  
_“What’s wrong?”  
She heard April sigh over the phone. Then there was some muffled talking- she had her hand over the phone and was talking to someone for a few seconds. Leslie frowned.  
“April?”  
_“Okay, err, don’t freak out. But Ann fainted and-”  
_“WHAT?!” Leslie yelled. “What?! Where are you? I’m coming.”  
_“In her office. But don’t panic-”_  
Leslie had already hung up. She sprinted out of her office, beelining to the lift. The lift was thirteen seconds faster than taking the stairs at a run, unless you went for the lift on the right which always juddered and stopped half-way down. She could feel herself getting more and more panicked in the lift, and then as soon as she got out on the right floor, she was sprinting all the way to Ann’s office.

When she got there- in less than two minutes (a new world record, maybe?) she burst into the office. April looked at her like she was an alien, but she didn’t care. She ran over to Ann, who was sat at the desk looking a little pale.  
“Are you okay?” She looked her over, before turning to April. “Is she okay?”  
They both answered at the same time.  
“Honey, I’m fine.”  
“Yeah, duh.” Leslie gave April a look and April threw up her hands, irritated. “I would have said that on the phone if you’d have let me _finish_.”  
Leslie leant back a little to catch her breath, before looking at Ann again. “But are you _sure_?”  
Ann nodded. “I’m sure.”  
“What’s going on?” April asked, squinting at them. “I know you’re weird, Leslie, but I’ve never seen you this weird before.”

Leslie and Ann looked at each other. Leslie was questioning. Ann was the one who was pregnant, so it was her decision really. Ann mulled it over. In two days, they would be able to tell everyone. And April was a good friend- a very good friend. She would keep it quiet.  
“Okay…” Ann said, wringing her hands. “This can’t come out yet, okay? But I’m pregnant.”  
April’s mouth formed into a small smile, and Leslie knew that was her equivalent of grinning.  
“That’s awesome,” April told them. “I’m happy for you guys. Or whatever.”  
“Thanks April!” Leslie said with a grin.  
“Yeah,” Ann said, smiling. “And thank you for helping me today.”  
“Sure,” April drawled. Then she smirked. “I always find out first about you two. It must be my witch genes.”  
“It must be,” Leslie replied, going along with it because she was just so relieved April had been there. She still had her hand in Ann’s hair, and Ann was leaning against her. April knew they probably needed some time alone, so turned and left the room without another word. Not even a goodbye. Ann squinted at her retreating form, confused, but then Leslie was vibrating next to her.

“Are you _sure_ you’re okay?”  
“I’m sure.”  
“And you _know_ the baby will be fine?” Leslie asked her, her voice high pitched and stressed.  
“April caught me. If I’d have fallen, maybe, but it’s fine,” Ann insisted. She could tell Leslie’s brain was whirring.  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie blurted. “I should have noticed you were off this morning.”  
“Leslie, don’t do this to yourself.”  
“No, Ann! I need to look after you better, I’m sorry-”  
“Leslie,” Ann cut her off, grabbing her hand. “This happens sometimes. It isn’t your fault. It just happens. You’ve been doing an amazing job looking after me. Okay?” Leslie didn’t say anything, so Ann squeezed her hand. “We spoke about this in therapy the other day, didn’t we?”  
“Yeah…”  
“You need to know you’re doing fine. More than fine.”  
Leslie let out a long breath. “Okay.” Then she stood and rummaged through her bag, pulling out a chocolate bar. “You need to eat something.”  
Ann nodded, accepting the chocolate and eating it. “You can sit down,” Ann told Leslie, who was hovering next to her.  
Leslie nodded, before sitting down on the chair opposite and watching her. Once Ann finished the chocolate bar, Leslie could tell she looked a little better.  
“Do you want me to drive you home?” Leslie asked. “I’ve got a free hour.”  
“Yes please,” Ann said, standing and finding her bag. “It’s probably safer if I go home. I’m pretty tired.”  
“Okay,” Leslie said, taking Ann’s bag off her. Ann smiled at Leslie opened the door, holding it for her.

***

When they got home, Leslie made Ann a cup of tea and got her settled on the sofa, the big fluffy pillow behind her back.  
“Do you need anything else?” Leslie asked her. Ann knew that was code for _do you need me to stay at home_ , but Ann shook her head, a smile on her face.  
“I’m okay. You get back to the Parks department.”  
Leslie let out a long sigh. “Text me if you feel sick or anything, yeah?”  
“Of course, honey. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
Leslie left, and Ann let out a sigh. She looked down at her stomach, placing her hand there.  
“You’re just as excitable as your Mom, do you know that?” Ann whispered. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to inherit that, but I’ve really got my work cut out for me haven’t I?”  
A silence. If the baby could talk, Ann knew it would probably be laughing at her.  
“I love you, little guy,” Ann whispered.  
Then her phone went off. It was a text from Leslie.

**I love you! And I love the baby! See you later- text me if you need anything! (sent 12:34)**

Ann smiled to herself. Things were fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading <3


	68. The Knope/Perkins Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann tell everyone their special news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shout out to Flor for no other reason than she deserves a shout out

Leslie was back in work and she was _stressed._ She ran past Ben, who asked her if she was alright, but all she could do was have a brief conversation.  
“Are you okay?” Ben asked, concerned.  
“Sorry Ben I’m really busy right now maybe talk later yeah?” she rushed out, before she turned and kept power walking.  
"Uh- okay! Cool!" Ben called, but she was gone.  
As soon as she got back to the Parks Department she was pacing in her office, biting her nails down to the bone.  
Ann was fine. She was _fine._ This just happened sometimes, especially early on, but it was fine. And soon, one of the stresses of having to keep this _all_ a secret would be over.  
After a few minutes April was hovering in the doorway. Leslie turned to face her, and April’s eyes widened.

“You look like you’re about to explode.”  
“April! I’m just stressed!”  
April’s face softened. She moved over to her awkwardly and raised her arm, patting Leslie’s shoulder.  
“You’re worried about Ann,” April said slowly. Leslie nodded.  
“Of course I am, I mean, I texted her saying I loved her and told her to tell me if she needed anything, and she said she would, I just… when things like this happen, and I can’t control them…”  
“It sucks,” April said with a small nod. “But she’s fine.”  
“What if she had fainted at the top of some stairs?” Leslie blurted. “Or even just when nobody was there. I can’t thank you enough for being there for her, but… what if-”  
“If I were you, I would just stop thinking about that,” April told her. “Seriously.”

Leslie let out a breath. “You’re right. I have seven meetings this afternoon I need to work on.”  
“I mean, like, you can’t change it. And you’re there for her all the time and I bet you’re really excited.” April let out a small smile. “It’s really cool.”  
Leslie smiled back. “Thanks, April. It _is_ really cool.” She sighed.  
April moved to the doorway, hesitating. “Maybe you should get super drunk this weekend. Once you’ve announced the pregnancy, maybe you should have a party. Just an idea.”  
Leslie frowned, mulling it over. “But what about Ann’s stress levels?”  
“It doesn’t have to be insane or anything. It just might be nice.”  
Then April zipped her hoodie all the way up and hid her face, before running back out into the department. Leslie watched her go, bemused, but smiling.

***

When Leslie got home, just after half five, Ann was napping on the couch. All it took was a soft kiss to the lips to rouse her, and soon they were smiling at each other, their expressions soft.  
“Hey,” Leslie whispered. “How are you doing?”  
“Better now I’ve had a rest,” Ann told her, moving to sit up. “How are you?”  
“I’m okay,” Leslie told her. “I stopped at Food and Stuff and got you some nice treats.”  
Ann hummed in appreciation, stretching, and Leslie went to the kitchen to unpack the shopping, leaving her wife to wake up properly.  
It was only a few moments before Ann’s arms wrapped around Leslie’s back, and she leant her head on her shoulder.  
“Are you still sleepy?” Leslie asked her gently.  
“A little. Are you okay?”  
“I am,” Leslie said, spinning slowly so they were facing each other. “And I was thinking, after work on Friday, when we tell everyone about the baby… we should have a little party. Just a small one in the department, it just might be nice.”  
“I agree,” Ann said.  
“It won’t be stressful. I promise it will be _chill_.”  
Leslie said the last word with such strange, smooth emphasis that Ann chuckled.  
“Chill, huh? I’m excited.”  
They moved back to the couch and Ann leant her head on Leslie’s shoulder, drifting off again as Leslie flicked through the TV. She was happy like this- they were happy.  
“Can you pass me my water?” Ann asked. “Oh, and that chocolate muffin.”  
Leslie beamed. “Of course.”

***

Everybody was in the department at ten to five. Leslie had sent out a group email asking everybody to hang back and wait for her, as she had a “special announcement.”  
“The email was in all caps and bolded,” Tom was telling Ben. “What the hell does she want us to do this time? If she’s running for president, I’m going to have to find _extra_ premium carpet.”  
“Yeah,” Donna said. “And hopefully it’ll reach the stage this time.”  
“Hey! Shut up!” Tom whined, and Larry snorted. “You too, Larry!”  
“Do you think she and Ann have bought a dog?” Andy asked April, who shrugged.  
“If they have, they’ll need to make sure it’s a good guard dog,” Ron said gruffly. “Or else it’s pointless. Dogs are for hunting and guarding.”  
“I don’t know why she’s asked us to stay, in answer to your question Tom” Ben said, rolling his eyes slightly before glancing at Chris, who raised one eyebrow.  
“Well I for one am _HEADING HOME_!” Craig announced loudly to the room. “There’s a Golden Girls marathon starting, and I _WON’T MISS IT FOR ANYTHING!”_

“Hang on, guys!” Leslie called as she and Ann entered the room, holding hands. April stared at Ann until they made eye contact, and Ann smiled at her widely. April found herself smiling back.  
“Finally!” Tom groaned, and Ben resisted the urge to hit him. “Why have you made us stay?”  
“I have to second Thomas’ point,” Craig drawled.  
“Well…” Leslie said, a grin on her face, before looking at Ann. Ann smiled widely.  
“I’m pregnant.”  
Everybody seemed to light up at once. Tom’s eyes were practically popping out of his head, Ron gave a small smile, nodding his head slowly. Andy full on whooped- as did Chris. Ben gave a big grin. Donna was beaming until Jerry hugged her excitedly. April smirked. Craig, well… seemed happy. It was hard to tell with that guy, Leslie thought, but he seemed happy enough.

“Congratulations!” said Ben- the first to actually speak.  
“I am _literally_ ecstatic,” Chris told them, and Ann smiled at him.  
“Thank you, Chris.” Ann looked at the room. “Chris agreed to be our sperm donor, which was an amazing thing for him to do.”  
“I am very excited to be the Uncle that gets the child onto a healthy diet,” Chris said eagerly.  
“Is that a… well-known type of Uncle?” Ben asked, bemused.  
“This kid is going to need fashion advice, and I am happy to oblige,” Tom told them.  
“Oh I agree, I am also down for that,” Donna added, looking Leslie up and down.  
Leslie grimaced. “Uh… thanks? I think?”  
“Andy and I can babysit. We’re not free in the evenings or weekends but like, any time during work hours,” April told them.  
“Ooh! Can you call the baby Andy?” Andy asked. “Wait! No! Mouse Rat Jr! Wait- Lightning Turbo Jet Fuel! Or what about Ultra Mega Cool Force Karate III?”  
“That sounds more like some kind of weird TV show,” Ann said slowly. “But… we’ll consider it.”  
“I’m happy to make a crib,” Ron told them. “If you tell me what type of wood and varnish you want as soon as possible, it will be ready by next Spring.”  
Leslie wrapped her arm around Ann’s back and kissed her hair.

Everybody’s reactions had been perfect.

***

After the announcement was out of the way, everyone was happy to stay for a few drinks to celebrate. Ann was on sparkling water, as were the designated drivers, but Leslie was very eager to have a few drinks.  
Ben came up to her and gave her a grin as she gulped down some champagne.  
“Congrats again, Leslie.”  
“Thanks Ben,” Leslie said with a grin. “I’m so excited!”  
“I bet!” Ben said, before frowning a little. “You seemed really nervous the other day, what was that about?”  
Leslie sighed. “Well…” she looked around, before leaning closer. “I got really worried after Ann fainted at work- and it was all fine and everything- but it’s got me worried about looking after her.”  
“You do everything and anything for her, Leslie,” Ben told her with a slight frown.  
“I know, it’s just… This is more stressful than when I was finishing on City Council. At least then, I realised that I can make a change by being myself. But I can’t make everything okay this time- I’m worried about being a good Mom, I’m worried about looking after my wife and the baby. I’m just… worried. Well, and excited. It’s a weird mix of emotions.”  
“I think that’s normal,” he told her. “You’re going to struggle at times. But you’re also going to do amazingly. That comes with being a parent.” Ben chuckled. “And hey, at least you’ll be better than _my_ parents. I still haven’t introduced them to Chris because, well… I hate them.”  
“Aw, Ben,” Leslie said, rubbing his arm.  
“What I mean is, you’re going to try hard to do the best you can every single day. So… I know it’s going to be fine. And look around at all these people- we would all do anything for you, and for Ann. It’s going to be just fine.”

Ann came over to them just as Leslie finished squeezing Ben tightly.  
“What’s going on?” Ann asked with a laugh. “Has my wife had too much champagne already?”  
“Not yet,” Ben promised. “I was just telling her that everything was going to be okay. That she’s going to be a great parent and that we love her.”  
“That’s certainly true,” Ann said, moving to kiss Leslie.  
“And we love you too,” Ben hastened to add. Ann laughed.  
“I know, Ben. Thank you.”  
“And if you guys need anything, Chris and I are in.”  
“Oh _definitely_ ,” Chris said, leaping in from nowhere. “I will do _anything_ you need. The miracle of life needs to be cherished and nurtured. I am _over the moon_ for you two.”  
“Thank you Chris,” Leslie told him, and the four of them smiled at each other.  
“Hey,” Ann whispered to Leslie. “This was a good idea. This is all good.”  
Leslie smiled back, feeling the familiar tug of love in her chest. “I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading I appreciate it so much


	69. Are You Oliver Twist?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Leslie see their baby for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to call this chapter "perfect just like you" but like... I prefer that chaotic conversation being the focus of the chapter

“Ow,” Leslie muttered, rubbing her side.   
Her periods had been painful this month. She had taken painkillers, but they didn’t seem to be doing the trick this time around.   
She felt a small rush of panic. Last time this had happened… No, it wasn’t like last time. It wasn’t like last time.  
Before she could think about it any further, she heard Ann’s voice as she approached her.  
“I’m ready to go, are you rea- hey, are you okay?”  
Leslie turned to face Ann, who was standing in the kitchen a few metres away from her, her bag on her shoulder. Leslie had to smile- it was slight, but she could make out the bump _just_ a little.   
She was so excited. It felt so real now. But she cursed herself, because was distracted by the shooting pain in her side.

“Yeah,” she said to Ann with a wince. “I just have period pains and…” she trailed off, embarrassed.  
Ann frowned. “What is it?” Then it clicked, and she reached out to rub Leslie’s arm. “Oh, Les…”  
“It’s not like last time,” Leslie told her. “It’s just… well, painfully reminiscent.”  
Ann pulled her in for a hug, squeezing her tightly.  
“I’m sorry, it’s stupid.”  
“Hey, no, it isn’t stupid. I still get scared walking across the street sometimes.”  
“So I always squeeze your hand,” Leslie said matter-of-factly. Ann smiled.  
“I know you do. What happened to you was so recent, Les. We work through this stuff.”  
“I know, Ann, that’s why the therapy is so great. But I do worry sometimes… I’d hate to see our kid go through anything like this. I know that life does that, I just wish I could protect them from everything. I want to protect you from everything too.”  
“You already do,” Ann told her.   
The two leaned in for a kiss.   
“Right!” Leslie said loudly, making Ann smile widely. “Let’s do this baby scan!”

***

Ann was lying in the weird reclining chair. She could feel Leslie next to her, jittering with excitement, but Ann felt the same.  
“Here’s your baby,” Dr Saperstein said to them, after what felt like ages of him moving the machine over the jelly on her belly.   
And they could see it. The little shape on the screen, moving. Ann and Leslie were in awe.  
“That- that’s our baby?” Leslie whispered.   
“Sure is!” the Doctor Saperstein said with a smile. “That’s amazing.” She turned to Leslie. “Can you believe it?”  
The two women grinned at each other, teary-eyed. Leslie leaned over and kissed Ann softly.  
“It’s amazing. There’s our _baby._ ”  
“Happy and healthy,” Saperstein told them, and they both sighed in relief.  
“That’s great news.”  
“Next time you come down, in a few weeks’ time, we can find out the sex of the baby!” he added, and Leslie and Ann looked at each other.  
“Seriously?” Leslie asked.   
“Of course,” Saperstein said. “Unless you don’t want to. But the option is there.”  
Leslie and Ann looked back at the screen, where their baby was thriving. Leslie found Ann’s hand.

***

When they got home, Leslie was marveling at the scan, whilst Ann was straight over to the fridge looking for something to eat.  
“I’m starving,” she complained, and Leslie laughed.  
“I’ll make you some lunch now, hang on,” Leslie told her, but Ann was already eating a hastily made sandwich. “Or… not.”  
“Hey,” Ann said, her mouth full. “What do you want to do about the next scan? Do you want to find out the sex of the baby, or…”  
“I don’t mind,” Leslie told her. “Really, I mean I’m happy with either sex. And who knows if that’s even going to be like, how the baby wants to identify in the future, if you really think about it. All I care about is that the baby is healthy. And loved.”  
“Well it’s both those things,” Ann said with a grin. “God, I’m so hungry.”  
“That baby is just like Oliver Twist,” Leslie said frankly, making Ann frown.  
“What do you mean?”  
“Have you not read Dickens, Ann? Or rather, have you not seen the hit musical _Oliver_?”  
Ann stared at her blankly.   
“Okay, well, that’s our afternoon plans sorted. But his whole thing is that he asks for more food. In the Workhouse.”  
“Okay…” Ann said, looking at Leslie like she was crazy. “But we’re not in a workhouse.”  
“I’m just saying the baby wants more food,” Leslie told Ann, before leaning over and addressing the bump. “Are you Oliver Twist? Are you? You can _consider yourself_ at home with us!”  
“If that’s a reference to the musical, I don’t get it.”  
“Well you’re uncultured, Ann. But we can change that.”  
“I like that name Oliver though,” Ann commented. “But not because of Dickens. It reminds me of olives, and I want fifty of them in my mouth right now.”  
Leslie reached into the back of the cupboard and pulled out a full jar. “I bought these yesterday. I’m well ahead of your cravings, honey!”  
“Aw, I love you,” Ann said. “Now give me them all.”   
She swiped the jar out of Leslie’s hands in one swift motion, and Leslie gasped.   
“Hey, you’re quick!”  
“I’m pregnant but I’m hungry. Hungry makes me fast.”

***

One night, a few days later, Leslie and Ann brought out Leslie’s trusty baby name binder.  
“You put Ron in there,” Ann remarked.   
“Only as a middle name,” Leslie told her. “I don’t think I could call our child that name, since I so often scream it in anger.”  
“That’s fair,” Ann said with a laugh. “I think if we find a few good contenders for each, we’re ready for when we find out the sex.” Ann paused. “If you want to, I mean.”  
“I really don’t mind about finding out,” Leslie told her. “If _you_ want to, we will.”  
“I don’t think I mind either,” Ann said. “I’m fine with either, and the surprise is sort of cute. Maybe we should just… not?”  
“That’s fine with me,” Leslie told her. “Really.”  
The two shared a kiss. When they got changed for bed, Leslie couldn’t help but glance over at the swell of Ann’s stomach- it was so beautiful that it made her catch her breath every time. And Ann was so beautiful anyway, it was just… well it made her brain malfunction, honestly.  
“Are you checking me out, Knope?” Ann asked with a smirk.  
“Sure am, Perkins,” Leslie said, winking.  
Ann laughed. “Well, appreciate it now before I get huge.”  
“I’ll always appreciate it. Not kidding. You’re _stupid_ hot.”

***

It had been four weeks, and Leslie and Ann were back at the doctor’s office for their second scan.   
It didn’t take long for them to be seen by Dr Saperstein.   
“Let’s see what’s cooking in there!” he said excitedly, making both Ann and Leslie grimace.  
“We don’t mind,” Ann said, “as long as the baby is healthy.”  
“We really don’t,” Leslie added.   
“Okay, well, I’m happy to say that in this second scan I can’t see any physical abnormalities. Your baby is progressing nicely.” The two women grinned at each other. “Are you sure you don’t want to find out the sex?”  
“We’re sure,” Ann said, taking Leslie’s hand and squeezing it. “Healthy is all we wanted to know.”  
“Alrighty then!” Saperstein said. “I’ll leave you alone with the baby for a while.”  
Leslie and Ann stared at the screen.   
“It looks so much more like a proper baby,” Leslie commented. “Instead of a blob.”  
“Did you just call our baby a _blob_?” Ann asked.   
“I did, but it doesn’t mind, do you, baby?”  
“Are you two ganging up on me already?” Ann moaned, and Leslie laughed.  
“Of course not, Ann. This kid just knows that Mom is right. It also has it’s mother’s good looks.”  
“That’s good to know,” Ann replied. “I’m glad it didn’t resemble me when it was a _blob_.”  
“Ann! Of course not,” Leslie said, leaning over to give her a kiss. “It looks perfect, just like you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this cheered you up <3


	70. Michigan- Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie gets offered a job in Chicago. Ann mentions that she has thought about leaving Pawnee and Leslie takes it the wrong way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May be the worst chapter I've ever written

Both Leslie and Ann had to work late. Leslie had texted Ann about a meeting she needed to have, but it worked out well, because Ann had some important loose ends she needed to sort out in work.  
It had been a crazy week, and Ann was excited to see the back of it.  
She was waiting in her office for Leslie to come meet her, when she got a text from her Mom asking if they wanted to visit the next day- Saturday. Ann said that it should be fine, she would just check with Leslie to see if that would work. But she hadn’t seen her parents since she announced she was pregnant- she had only told them over video call and then spoken every few days. Both she and her parents had been so busy, and Ann was desperate to see them now.  
She really hoped Leslie wouldn’t come in ranting about a project for the weekend and that they could just go. Ann was feeling irritable and missed her parents a lot. And she loved Leslie’s enthusiasm- more than many other things in life- but it would be so good if Leslie would say yes, they can go and no, there aren’t any distractions.

“Ann, you radiant goddess and Baby you magnificent sun, I have stressful news!"  
Leslie burst in with those words pouring out, and Ann blinked at her in surprise.  
“Wow, okay…”  
"I’ve got a job offer as Regional Director and the job is in Chicago. I have ages to think about it, but that’s what’s happened.”  
“I’m so proud of you Leslie!” Ann said, restarting her brain to stand up and give her wife a hug. “Someone is finally recognizing how amazing you are!”  
“Thank you, Ann. But the job isn’t _here_.”  
Ann could tell Leslie was fired up about this, so she grabbed her coat and put it on. She was hoping for nothing intense or rant-worthy today, but this was important.  
“Okay, talk to me. Get all your thoughts out.”

***

Leslie hardly paused for breath in the time it took them to leave City Hall and drive home. Only when they got to the doorstep did Leslie stop talking.  
“I’m sorry Ann, and I’m sorry Baby, that I keep going on and on but it’s a big decision! And I’m _married_ , and if you don’t want to leave Pawnee then I won’t. That’s it.”  
“Well…” Ann paused, rolling her tongue inside her mouth as she considered how to phrase her next sentence. “Sometimes I do think about moving away from Pawnee.”  
Leslie froze, looking at her. “You do? Since when?”  
“Yeah, sometimes. I mean, my Mom has invited us down for the weekend tomorrow-”  
“-That sounds nice-”  
“-and I’m glad she did, because I missed my parents. But I’ve also been thinking about Michigan. It’s a lovely place. Good for raising a family. I know the job is in Chicago, but I'm sure that has benefits that Pawnee doesn't have. Michigan does too."  
Leslie didn’t speak as Ann unlocked the door, and it was only when they got into the house that she started pacing up and down. Ann shut the door, watching her flurry of movements with a frown on her face.

“How long have you been thinking about moving?”  
“Wait, what?”  
“You wanted to move away from Pawnee and you didn’t tell me?”  
“No," Ann said patiently. "I’ve just been thinking about it. I’m thinking about being a Mom and the fact that, as much as I love Pawnee, it is a little…” Ann gestured with her hands, making a face. “I don’t know. Rough around the edges.”  
Leslie gasped. “Ann- are you serious?” Ann realised that Leslie wasn’t joking around when Leslie dropped her bag on the floor harshly. “I love Pawnee. I’d live here forever if I could. And I’ve worked really hard for it.”  
“I know you have, Les.”  
“But you want to raise the baby somewhere else? I- I didn’t know you wanted to do that. Would you have told me that if I hadn’t got the job offer in Chicago?”

“I didn’t say I definitely wanted to, Les, I just said that sometimes I’ve thought about it!”  
“But Ann! Pawnee is our home! We love it here!”  
“I know, Leslie, but you have to admit that the town has treated you so badly.”  
Leslie nodded. “I hate the people here sometimes, Ann, that’s definitely true. They don’t appreciate me at all.”  
“No,” Ann said, folding her arms. “They don’t.”  
“But I’m working on the town, and all our friends are here. Do you not like it here?!”  
Ann rolled her eyes. Her pregnancy was making her irritable, and Leslie was driving her crazy.  
“Leslie, you’re being ridiculous.”  
Leslie froze again. “What? How?”  
“You’re acting like a crazy person. Can you just stop for a second?” Ann said harshly, rubbing her temples. “I’ve had a busy week too you know, and this baby is being a pain and I just want to look forward to seeing my parents tomorrow.”  
“I’m sorry you’ve had a busy week, and I’m sorry the baby is making it worse, but I can’t help being stressed, Ann! This is like information overload from you!”  
“From _me_? Leslie, you’ve talked non-stop since we left my office. You didn’t even ask me how _my_ day was. You took one thing I said and made it a huge deal. You’ve gone way over the top, like you _always_ do. It's a little selfish.”  
Leslie let those words sink in, before her face scrunched up in anger. “Well fine! If you think I always make things over the top, I’ll just _stop talking_!”  
“Good!” Ann shouted back. “I’m getting ready for Michigan. Don’t bother packing with me.”

***

Ann had grabbed a snack from the fridge before she stormed into their bedroom and slammed the door. Leslie stewed angrily in the living room for an hour or so, but once the anger vanished, she just felt stressed and sad. Ann had said some hurtful things to her, but she was sort of right. She did make things over the top. She had started a shouting match with her pregnant wife.  
This felt like the steamrolling thing all over again, but this time, Ann had been the one to say the hurtful things.  
 _It’s because you wound her up_ , the rational side of Leslie said. _She’s pregnant and tired, she misses her family. She’ll be fine in a while, and you can apologise.  
_ But then Leslie considered the fact that she had thought about leaving Pawnee. Leslie had been shocked to hear it, but that was mainly because she had anxieties about whether or not she wanted to leave herself. She really didn’t want to, and now she was just confused.  
She wanted to cry- she wanted to run in to Ann and apologise a thousand times. It wasn’t fair- Ann was allowed to think what she wanted, and they needed to discuss it rationally.  
But the more Ann had talked about how she was thinking about different places to raise a baby, Leslie felt more insecure. Leslie and Pawnee were basically one entity- Leslie couldn’t help it, but it made her feel weird in herself.

She stood on shaking legs and went over to the bedroom door. She needed Ann. She hated arguments- she needed to apologise; she needed to say whatever it was she needed to say that would make it better.  
But when she opened the door, Ann was asleep, the half packed suitcase open on the bed. So, Leslie walked in and wrapped the quilt around Ann a little tighter. She zipped the suitcase and put it on the floor, and she turned off the light. She got changed in the dark and slipped into bed, keeping her distance.

***

Leslie had a confusing dream. Ann was driving away from her to Michigan with a man- they had a moving truck and they were starting their new life. Leslie couldn’t leave Pawnee- she couldn’t be what Ann wanted. She had been living a lie, clearly.

Leslie woke the next morning to an empty bed. She felt around in horror, heart racing, until she found a note from Ann on Ann’s side of the bed.

_Sorry I didn’t wake you. My Dad was in Pawnee for a job so he’s driving me back with him._

_I’m sorry Leslie, but I need time away from you while I think about everything. You’re clearly stressed about your meeting, but I really need some time where I can relax. We both need a breather, I think._

_Please don’t spend ages thinking about this, but I know you will. I love you more than anything, I just need some time to chill out and see my parents. You need some time to think about the meeting and think about your next move._

_Make sure you take some time to calm, I’ll speak to you later today._

_I love you._

Leslie swore under her breath. She had _really_ done it now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep worst chapter hahaha


	71. Michigan- Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann has gone to Michigan. Leslie is at home.

It felt like a kick in the teeth, really. Leslie couldn't just swan over and apologise- she had upset Ann so badly that Ann had run away. She had made her reach her breaking point.

Leslie was holding the note in her hands, reading it over and over. She didn't see the _I love you,_ all she saw was that Ann was gone, and it made her overthink their entire conversation from the night before. It made her sick to know that she had really, _really_ fucked up.  
Ann was right- she had been _way_ too stressed in front of her pregnant wife. Leslie had promised them that she wouldn’t let Ann or the baby down, but there she was, letting them down.  
Ann had been well in her right to think about other places to raise the baby. By no means had Ann said that she _wanted_ to leave Pawnee, but Leslie had taken it way out of proportion like she always did. It made her hate herself, a bit.

It was really annoying that she always came to these conclusions _after_ the argument. Why not during? Or even before- before would be _way_ better.

The next thing Leslie did was type in Dr Nygard’s number with shaking hands and ask if he had space for an emergency appointment, because he told her to do that when she felt how she did.  
She needed to talk to somebody about this that was a trained professional- Ann shouldn’t have to listen to this all the time. She knew that usually, Ann wouldn’t mind, but if she was feeling the stress herself (and was now in a different city) it would be no good just calling her up to apologise and talk at length about why she had been wrong. Leslie needed to talk through her feelings and come back to Ann with an answer that made sense; with an apology that had meaning.  
She couldn’t apologise properly until she knew why she had done what she did. She was sick of saying sorry over and over- she needed to mean it. Maybe she would talk about the dream she had, too. Clearly that was an insecurity she didn’t know she had.

Leslie messaged all of her friends one at a time, asking if they were free. In the past, Leslie could go and turn up at Ron’s cabin and talk to him. But Ron had a family now. A family she knew for a fact were on a wilderness weekend together. And, as the texts came back through, she found out that none of her friends were free to talk to her. Ben and Chris had a couples’ weekend, Tom was with Jean Ralphio. Donna was busy at the salon. Even Andy and April were on some road trip.

She needed to try and solve this herself.

She messaged Ann saying she hoped she had a safe journey. She didn’t want to ignore her- Ann was pregnant, and her state of mind was a priority.  
Leslie tried to ignore the irrational thoughts creeping in. Ann hadn’t left her to move to Michigan.  
Ann had gone to _visit_ Michigan because Leslie had made her too stressed. She didn’t know how she could make it better.

All Leslie knew was that she was sick of letting her wife down.

***

“Are you okay honey?” Ann’s dad- Paul- asked as they drove down. He could tell Ann was quiet- after the euphoric conversation about how the pregnancy was going, which had seemed to distract her temporarily, she had seemed to withdraw.  
It was painfully quiet now her chatty wife wasn't here, and it almost reminded him of how Ann had been before they met- dating that strange Andy fellow and being closed off and shy. She had come out of her shell since she got with Leslie, and seeing her without her was just sad.  
Ann sighed. “I told a white lie on the phone. Leslie didn’t skip the visit because of work- we had an argument last night and I kind of… bailed.”  
“You did?” Paul asked, and Ann hated how disappointed he sounded.  
“I know- it’s bad. She’s got a lot going on, and I want to be there for her, but she was really stressing me out and going really over the top. And I love her to pieces- more than life itself, honestly- but I just needed a break.”  
“Well, you do deserve a break,” Paul told her. “It’s just a shame you feel like you need a break from your _wife_.”  
“Not a break from _her_ ,” Ann emphasized. “A break from the stress that comes from her job.”  
“I thought Leslie and her job were kind of… intertwined?” Paul asked.  
Ann huffed. “Well, yeah. She’s very career driven. I would never change that.”  
Paul chuckled. “I’ll let you off this one because you’re pregnant, and my _god_ , if you’re anything like how your Mom was when _she_ was pregnant, you’re going to need lots of breaks. I just think that you two need to talk through these things more. You fit so well together.”  
“We really do,” Ann said with a smile. “I love her more than anything. She just has a habit of going from 0 to 100 in about ten seconds flat, especialy when she's stressed.”  
“And you don’t?” Paul said with a chuckle. “Remember when your cousin broke your toy horse?”  
“I was seven!” Ann moaned. “And that was a _great_ toy- I’m still not over it, to be honest.”

Paul laughed, and Ann took the time to check her phone for what felt like the tenth time. Still no texts from Leslie. It was gone eleven, so she must be awake. Ann sighed again. Ann herself was the one who said they needed a breather, so maybe Leslie really didn’t want to talk. But it wasn’t like her. Her Dad looked over at her again.  
"She's stressed?" Paul asked. "About what?"  
"A job decision. Don't look at me like that, I just needed a break. She was getting really over the top and it was infuriating."  
There was a short silence, and Ann realised how bad that had sounded. But he hadn't been there at the time.   
“Leslie loves you so much,” he told her. “She’s probably just getting her head straight, having time to cool down.”  
“Yeah,” Ann said mournfully. “All she did was message saying she hoped I had a safe trip. She’s just usually chattier than this. I was an idiot and I left her on an argument, I- I hate that.”  
Paul was quiet for a while. “Alright. I’ll drive you home tomorrow morning. How does that sound?”  
“Are you sure?” Ann asked him. Paul nodded.  
“Of course. You can spend today with us, then you can go home to Leslie. You’ll just be worrying otherwise.” He paused. “I guess you and Leslie _are_ quite similar.”  
“You guys will come up next weekend though, right?” Ann asked him. He nodded.  
“Of course.”  
“This is my fault. I should have spoken to her before I left. I just… I needed space.”  
“So did she, probably,” Paul told her. “Now all that matters is you know where to go from here.”

***

Leslie finished the session. It didn’t really make her feel much better, but it was good to talk through everything with someone that wasn’t her pregnant wife. Dr Nygard had given her some tips for how to work through her feelings. The one Leslie had latched onto was writing out all the irrational thoughts she thought she had, and then acknowledging them as irrational. The main one being the new, interesting and _very fun_ thought that Ann had left her and moved to Michigan. It was total crap- she knew that- but she couldn’t stop thinking about it.

She also hated the fact that she had stressed her wife out so much that she had fled to Michigan. Leslie hated herself for that, so she did what she did best. She got home and she pulled out her work binders and she worked for hours, and then when she couldn’t bear to look at Parks spreadsheets any longer, she pulled out the two giant whiteboards she had (against Ann’s better judgement) and wrote down _all_ the irrational thoughts that she was having.  
It felt daunting, seeing them up there. She wrote about her fears, too. About the new job, and the baby. It was a mess of words on the board, and it really represented how her mind felt. But the therapy had helped.

All she needed to do now was see Ann so she could apologise. Right as she thought that, there was a knock at the door.  
Leslie sprinted to get it, hoping to see her beautiful angelic wife there, but it was just her beautiful friend Donna instead.  
“Are you okay Knope?” Donna asked, squinting at her. “You look… like crap.”  
“Donna?” Leslie asked. “Why are you here?”  
“Because you private messaged _everybody_ asking where they were,” Donna said, staring her down. “April told me you messaged her and Andy, and then you messaged _me_ asking if I was free. I got worried.”  
Leslie must have been emotional already, because she burst into tears and hugged Donna tightly.  
Donna froze up. “Okay, you _know_ I’m not a hugger. What’s going on?”  
Leslie shut the door. Donna walked into the living room and stopped, staring at the white boards.  
“Do I even want to know?”  
“No!” Leslie said hurriedly, pushing the boards away. “Just… ignore them. It’s just boring work stuff.”  
“Hm. Okay. Now spill it.”

Leslie explained everything. It was messy, and it was gruesome, but it was everything. Donna grimaced at the right times, she called her out when needed.  
“This is a mess, girl.”  
“I know! Should I drive down to Michigan and surprise her? A big dramatic declaration of love?”  
“ _Err…_ no. Honestly, I don’t think you need to worry.”  
“You… don’t?”  
Donna took a second to look at her nails which, to be fair, were incredibly glamorous. Then she looked at Leslie with all the sage wisdom she had to offer.  
“When you first met Ann, you basically prioritized her above everything else. And at first, we all found it irritating as hell, but then we realised that maybe you two had something going on. But that was only, like, four weeks in! You guys have been each other’s whole _universes_ even _before_ you guys started dating.”  
“Yeah, but-”  
“She’s in love with you, Leslie. It’s a bit gross to admit, but it’s true. She won’t leave you. You just need to figure it out. She knows you love her.” Donna paused. “We _all_ do. It’s annoying.”  
“Alright,” Leslie said, grimacing.  
“Maybe she does just need some space. Remember, you’re allowed to make mistakes. Just learn from them.”  
Leslie let out a breath. “Wow. Thank you so much, Donna.”  
“ _Mhm_. Now I need to go. I have a man waiting in the car _and_ … he has an eight-pack.”  
Leslie blinked. “Wow, okay. Go!”

***

Feeling slightly more confident, Leslie messaged Ann.

**I love you. (Sent: 19:00)**

And her heart raced when Ann replied straight away.

**I love you too. So much. (Sent: 19:00)**

Leslie stared at her phone. She just needed to not fuck this up. But she didn’t know where to go from there. Ann didn’t say anything else, and she didn’t want to crowd her. Donna said that maybe she needed space, so Leslie gave her the space. She pulled the boards back round and analysed them, taking in the information. Then she lay on the sofa and thought about Ann for hours.

She loved her more than anything. And all she wanted was her to be here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's another cliffhanger ;)


	72. Michigan- Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann gets back from her time away from Leslie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you Rosie for leaving such a lovely comment on the last chapter, honestly made my day!!  
> And thank you to Rashidaamy of course

It was five am when Leslie finally fell asleep, in her work clothes, on the sofa. And that was how Ann found her at twelve pm the next day, after her Dad had dropped her home. Ann had had a relaxing night- she definitely needed it- but that morning, all she had wanted to do was get home to her wife.  
Her Dad hadn’t even asked. He was up and ready the same time as her. Her Mum had given her a kiss and told her that it had been lovely to see her. And that she was excited to see Leslie next time. Ann felt so loved- but she still felt that guilt. She had basically abandoned Leslie, and she needed to get home and fix it.

And, apparently, she arrived home at the right time. Seeing Leslie chaotically sprawled across the sofa, fast asleep, was concerning. Ann didn’t even have time to inspect the whiteboards filled with words, instead she opted to rub Leslie’s back gently, rousing her.  
“Honey?” Ann whispered.  
“Mm?” Leslie moaned, still half asleep.  
“Why are you sleeping on the sofa?”  
“Ann’s back? I mean- you’re back?” Leslie exclaimed, leaping awake. “I thought-”  
“I came back early,” Ann told her tenderly. “I needed to see you.”  
“But- your quality time-”  
“My parents are coming here next weekend,” Ann explained. Leslie looked at her in confusion. “It was my fault for leaving us on an argument, and I’m so, _so_ sorry. I made that really difficult for both of us.”  
“No- no it’s fine,” Leslie insisted. “You didn’t have to leave them. You needed your breather.”  
Leslie sat up properly, allowing space for Ann to sit beside her. Even then, it still felt like there was a distance between them, and Ann didn’t like it. She was the first to break the distance, tentatively putting her hand over Leslie’s, which was flat on the sofa cushion, keeping her upright.  
“It isn’t fine, and I did have to come back. Look… I hate how we left it. I’m sorry I was so horrible to you, it wasn’t fair. You’re stressed and I totally brushed past it.”  
“No, I blame myself,” Leslie told her. “It was my fault, I did overreact. And you’re pregnant, I shouldn’t be doing that.” Her hand moved slightly, like she was going to touch Ann's stomach. Ann was almost disappointed when she didn't. Leslie let out a breath. “I do act over the top sometimes. I am selfish.”  
Ann winced. “I didn’t mean that.”  
“But you were right.”  
"You're not selfish. You're _not_."

Leslie yawned and shrugged. Ann looked over to the scrawled words on the whiteboard.  
“Leslie… what’s this?”  
Leslie glanced blearily over to her list- **Reasons why I’m a bad wife.**  
“Oh. Cognitive reframing.”  
“What?”  
“I’m acknowledging my flaws. I spoke to Dr Nygard yesterday and he’s given me some tips. Hence the- err- whiteboard.”  
“You had therapy?” Ann asked, her heart sinking.  
“Yeah, just a quick one,” Leslie told her. “After everything that happened, I felt just awful. And then I had this dream where you left with someone else to Michigan, and I was trying to remind myself you weren’t leaving me. I just get these irrational thoughts, and that’s not your fault.”  
Ann’s lips parted slightly, her face crumpling. She leaned over and wrapped Leslie in a hug, squeezing her tightly.  
“Leslie. I would _never_ leave you.”  
Leslie breathed in her scent. It felt right.   
“Donna came over here to tell me you wouldn't leave me too. I just feel so bad, Ann!” Leslie leant from Ann’s embrace and hugged her arms around herself. “You’re probably so sick of me asking for validation and being an anxious mess, I didn’t want to- to bother you with that. I’m stressed about work and the thought of leaving Pawnee makes me a bit sick. That’s why I was acting weird, I’m so sorry. You were in the right the whole time, I was being stupid.”  
“We’re not leaving,” Ann promised. “Unless you really want that job, it’s up to _you_. As long as we’re together, I’m happy.”  
Leslie sighed. “I know, me too. It’s just that I have a routine and I have my life here and I just- I keep worrying you’re going to leave me, I mean… I keep worrying you’re going to leave, and I don’t want you to _leave_ -”

Ann rubbed her back again. Slow circles. Leslie could feel the calm waves emanating out of her. And then she spoke, softly, and Leslie listened.  
“We’re not leaving Pawnee. I’m not leaving you. I love you. All I want in the world is to be with you, Leslie, and raise this baby with you.”  
It was said in such a way that Leslie felt it in her soul. Leslie let out a long sigh.  
“I’m sorry I keep doubting everything. All this stress isn’t good for the baby.”  
Ann furrowed her brow. “I think that’s when _I’m_ stressed, not you.”  
“But I’m _making you stressed._ I made you leave- I stressed you out-”  
“I _was_ stressed, but I’m not now. I’ve felt guilty for the past day. Being with my parents helped, but I missed you.”  
“I missed you too. So much."

"And I know for a fact that you're good at keeping me calm, because without you, I just felt strange.”  
"There's no way I could calm you down when I'm like this," Leslie said dubiously. Ann shrugged.  
“You're my wife, what else can I say?" She bit her lip. "And now I’m back, and we’ve talked it through…” she glanced at the white boards again. “I’m just a little worried and a little sad.”  
“I’m sorry- really, I am. I didn’t mean to take it so far in the first place, I swear. I just… always do.”

Ann sighed. “I know you don’t mean it. And it’s not like I’m a sea of calm _all_ the time.”  
Leslie squeezed Ann's hand tightly, and looked into her eyes. “Ann Perkins. I’m going to do better.”  
“Leslie Knope, I will too. When you’re anxious, I help you. When I’m anxious, you help me. It’s how it works. We are a _team_.”  
Leslie grinned. "Hell yeah."  
They kissed, and Ann could feel Leslie’s smile as they did.  
“I love you,” Ann whispered. “And I’m sorry.”  
“I love you too. And I’m double sorry. I’m going to try and work through my stress in better ways. And not act over the top.”  
“And I’m going to tell you when you’re stressing me out.”  
“Oh, also, I’ll be more receptive to your stress. I’m going to analyse every future decision as scenarios arise and make sure I pick the option that makes you the least stressed based on a multitude of factors-”  
“Honey, breathe.”  
Leslie took in a breath, before she looked at Ann in a way that made Ann’s heart clench.  
“I am genuinely so sorry, Ann. I was so aware of you not getting stressed and looking after you, but then I guess I had a wobble and I lost it. I’m sorry.”  
Ann squeezed her hand. “You’ve had a lot going on. I know you’re sorry. I _know_.”

The two of them smiled at each other. Leslie finally put her hand on Ann's stomach, and Ann smiled.   
"Hey kiddo," Leslie whispered. "Did you miss your Mom? I'm sorry."  
"The baby definitely did," Ann told her.   
“Working things out this early is good,” Leslie said. “Especially since you’re pregnant, and it’s only going to get more stressful once we actually _have_ the baby.”  
“Oh god,” Ann groaned. “We’re going to _die_.”  
“No we’re not,” Leslie promised. “It’s going to be fine.”  
Ann laughed shakily. "Is it?"  
"Hey," Leslie whispered, moving her hands from Ann's stomach to her face, cupping it delicately. "It's going to be just fine. I promise."  
Ann let out a breath. This was what she meant- Leslie was so calming when she thought about it.  
“How are you so calm all of a sudden? Is it so I don’t get stressed?”  
“I mean, yeah, but also… it’s because I have you, Ann. You make everything better. I love you so, so much.”  
They embraced, and Leslie breathed her in again. She was so perfect, she just wanted to kiss her.  
She was pleasantly surprised when Ann was the one to initiate a passionate kiss, and it just felt _so right._ This was her wife. They were married, and they were fine.  
Donna was right- they had been each other’s universes ever since they met, and now they were married. There was no way anything would change that.

When they pulled apart, Ann frowned. “We haven’t talked about your job.”  
Leslie tucked a strand of Ann’s hair behind her ear. “It’s okay. We have time to do that.”  
“How about we wipe this stuff off the boards and do a pros and cons list?”  
Leslie’s ears pricked up. “You know I love a good pros and cons list… but first, let’s just… do something _nice_ today.”  
“That sounds good,” Ann said, stretching. “The baby is hungry so I am too.”  
Leslie leaned down and looked at her bump. “Do you want waffles?”  
"Hell yeah," Ann said with a laugh.  
Leslie looked up at Ann. “Is your Dad still in Pawnee?"  
"He probably is," Ann replied. "Why?"  
"We could meet him at JJ’s? I know your Mom isn’t here…”  
“We’ll see her next weekend,” Ann reminded Leslie. “But yeah, seeing Dad is a lovely idea. I’ll give him a call.”  
As Ann stood, Leslie jumped in surprise. “I just realised! I was going to drive down to Michigan and declare my love as a surprise, and Donna said it was a bad idea, but you basically did that anyway!”  
Ann frowned. “Erm, Donna clearly doesn’t know me very well, because I would have _loved_ that.”  
The two of them laughed, and then Leslie squeezed Ann’s hand. “I’m so glad we’re okay.”  
Ann smiled. “We were always going to be okay.”  
“Still, though. I love you and the baby more than anything in the universe.”  
Ann laughed. “I know, weirdo. I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	73. Jackpot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann check in with each other's feelings a week after their big fight. Many topics are covered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this fic has got a lot more views over the past week or so, thank you everyone!!  
> I know this isn't the main ship in the show, I love Ben and Leslie SO much but I'm quite enjoying getting that content in there for the ship that isn't as popular but definitely has a following. I appreciate you all <3

The next weekend, Ann’s parents returned. And this time, they had brought gifts. Ann and Leslie had opened the door and were greeted with a gigantic balloon, as well as a new baby carrier with a bow on it. There were six other bags, each of them with carefully wrapped gifts inside.  
“Guys!” Ann exclaimed happily. “This is so generous!”  
“Nothing but the best for our grandchild,” Sharon told them, moving to kiss Ann’s cheek. “Leslie! How are you?”  
“Hi Sharon! I’m doing alright thank you. You guys look well! Hi Paul.”  
Leslie was glad she was at a point where she could get on well with Ann’s parents. Ann’s mother was a little overbearing, and Ann’s father was a little quiet, but if anything, that was what Leslie was comfortable with. Marlene Griggs-Knope wasn’t exactly easy going. There was a reason Ron invented that nickname for her.

When Sharon and Paul entered the house, they were surprised that it was so tidy.  
“Usually it’s a little…” Sharon frowned, and Leslie could see where Ann got her expressive face from.  
“Messy?” Leslie asked with a laugh.  
Sharon nodded, and Ann blushed. “Mom!”  
“You caught us on a good day,” Leslie said quickly, saving the situation.  
In actual fact, the house had been messy until about half an hour prior. There had been post-it notes adorning the walls and even the floor- but Leslie had removed them all in time. She and Ann had been intermittently discussing Leslie’s potential new job all week, and they were making progress. Some, anyway. When they hadn’t been working through the newest problem, they had been working. And chilling. And having sex. The two of them were still feeling apologetic and guilty, and it had manifested in _lots_ of make-up sex. Leslie was quite pleased to say that this week had been better than the last.

“Did you redecorate?” Paul asked, changing the subject.  
“Oh, yeah!” Ann said with a grin. “When Leslie moved in, I wanted her to do some things her way.”  
“It looks good!” Paul said with a smile. “I didn’t notice it at the wedding.”  
“Probably thanks to the champagne,” Sharon cut in, chuckling, and Leslie let out a loud laugh.  
“I see it now and it looks great,” Paul continued. “You’ve got a good decorative eye, Leslie.”  
“Thank you Paul,” Leslie said, smiling. She found Ann’s hand and squeezed it.  
The lot of them moved to the sofas and sat down. Leslie had prepared snacks, and soon conversation was flowing. Most of it was about the baby, but they covered a wide range of topics.  
Leslie couldn’t help but watch Ann. When she was speaking, she subconsciously moved to rest her hand on her bump. It was subtle, but it was just another thing Leslie loved about her. Watching how she acted when she was relaxed was such a privilege.

Leslie felt so lucky, every single day.

***

The visit went well. Neither of Ann’s parents mentioned the weekend prior, and Leslie was half glad, as it had been an agonizing failure, but also part of her felt like she needed to be pulled up about it.  
It was strange- Leslie knew that something like that was bound to happen at some point. Their biggest fight- one of them leaving the house. Leslie just hadn’t expected it to come this far into the relationship.  
Then again, they were so solid, that it was only until babies were being made and job offers came through that they were tested. The campaign had tested them too, but they were safe in the knowledge that it was other people’s faults. Leslie didn’t know how to feel about the fact that it had been _her_ who had been the problem, not the campaign.  
Maybe that was the bubble popping. Leslie had heard that expression before- when you’ve been dating a while, and you suddenly realise that your partner isn’t perfect.

But Leslie still thought Ann was perfect. If anything, this argument had just made her seem better- Ann had come back, despite Leslie’s behaviour, and Leslie was _so lucky_.  
She had never been so in love before.

***

“Hey. You okay?” Ann asked softly, as they were waving at Sharon and Paul’s car as they drove away the next day.  
“Yeah,” Leslie told her. “Just… I don’t know. I’m trying not to punish myself but I want to.”  
“If this is about last week,” Ann said with a frown, “then you don’t need to worry, Leslie.”  
“Don’t you think it’s strange, though, that we’ve never had a fight that big before?” Leslie asked as she shut the door. “And it was _my_ fault.”  
“We were both in the wrong,” Ann replied instantly.  
“I was more in the wrong but whatever, that’s still my point. I’ve never been more in love with you, I don’t think the bubble is _ever_ going to pop with you, Ann Perkins.”  
Ann smirked at her, a little confused. “What do you mean, _bubble_?”  
Leslie explained the concept as they settled back down onto the couch. Ann pursed her lips.  
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought any of my past partners were even _close_ to perfect. I _thought_ that Chris was, but… well, he’s human. Almost super-human, but still. I don’t think perfect exists.”  
“You don’t?” Leslie asked, slightly disappointed. Leslie did. She could see it right in front of her.

Ann smiled sadly. “I don’t. Everybody has flaws- that’s what makes us human. And loving someone in spite of their flaws is important.” She scrunched up her face in consideration. “But if perfect _did_ exist- you’d be pretty damn close, Leslie Knope.”  
“And even then, that’s quite far off,” Leslie replied with a chuckle.  
Ann grabbed her hand and kissed it. “You’re perfect for me, anyway. I’ve never felt this strongly about a person before, ever.”  
“Never ever?”  
Ann grinned. “Never ever. The wedding proved that.”  
“Me neither,” Leslie sighed, a dopey smile on her face.  
It was true. None of the people she had dated had even come close. Not ever.  
“Wait…” Leslie murmured. “Have I _never_ been in love before?”  
Ann looked at her. “What do you mean?”  
“I’ve not had _loads_ of relationships, but they were all basically failures. I think this might be my first serious relationship, Ann.”  
Ann glanced down at the baby bump, then wiggled her ring finger at Leslie. “ _Pretty_ serious, yeah.”  
“Is that why I keep screwing up?” Leslie asked her. “I’ve never dated someone for this long before?”  
“Okay one- we’re _married_ , I think this is new territory for both of us. Unless you have an ex-spouse you need to tell me about?”  
“Not that I can recall.”  
“Okay then. And two- you haven’t _kept_ screwing up. We both screwed up once. And we’re allowed to argue, Leslie. We just need to learn from it. Love and learn, all that jazz.”  
“ _Still_ , though. I made a huge mistake.”  
“Leslie, nobody can be perfect. Not even you. It’s okay to make mistakes.”  
Leslie nodded slowly, and Ann sat back.  
“Now I think about it,” she mused, “I’ve never been in love before I met you either…”

Ann trailed off, and the two of them sat there in silence for a minute.  
“Why is this _bothering_ me?” Leslie asked, shaking herself. “We clearly love each other. Our past relationships don’t matter. Not even the one where he abandoned me when I broke my knee-cap. It doesn’t _matter_ that this was our first shot at proper love. I think we’re doing _pretty damn well_.”  
“You’re right,” Ann said with a firm nod. “Let’s just be glad that we hit the jackpot this time round."  
"We _did_ hit the jackpot."  
"I mean- we’re _married_.”  
“Yeah!”  
“We’re having a _baby_.”  
“Yeah!”  
The silence continued.  
“…Are you also overthinking about every past relationship?” Ann whispered.  
“Sure am,” Leslie replied. “I also think that Cindy from my seminars _might_ have been hitting on me when she asked me to come out with her one night in the library twenty years ago.”  
Ann laughed loudly. “Wait, what?”  
“I think I’m just oblivious!” Leslie replied. “She was _really_ nice to me, but I think that maybe she liked me too.”  
“Is it bad I’m sort of a little jealous of Cindy?” Ann asked with a smirk.  
Leslie grinned back wickedly. “You are? _Ann_.”

She leaned over and kissed her, pulling back just as Ann was getting into rhythm.  
Ann huffed when the contact ended. “Seriously?” she whined.  
“I just wanted to say don’t be jealous of Cindy. Or of the other girls I’m now realising might have liked me. Of which there were a lot. _Crap._ ”  
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I _knew_ that people liked me, and I was never happy in a relationship until you.”  
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Leslie said with a pout. “It makes me sad.”  
“But you’re here now,” Ann reminded her. “Will you kiss me?”  
Leslie obliged, and Ann melted into it. She was frustrated yet again when, only seconds later, Leslie pulled back like she did before.  
“I just worry that I’m going to let you down again. I know I said we’re doing well, but what if I ruin it?”  
“I worry about letting you down too,” Ann replied. “Which shows that we’re doing this right this time. I love you so much.”  
“I love you too,” Leslie whispered.

The two of them giggled.  
“We’re so stupid, we’re literally _married_ ,” Leslie squeaked.  
“And we’re allowed to make mistakes,” Ann reminded her. “Remember that.”  
“I know,” Leslie said slowly. “I just love you so much that I never want to. I always want to do everything for you, always.”  
Ann felt a rush of desire. She leaned forward until she was practically breathing down Leslie’s ear.  
_“You can do one thing.”_  
Leslie shivered. “Are you asking me or begging me?”  
Ann shrugged, deliberately avoiding the question. She pouted again, but it turned into a smirk, and that one action turned Leslie on more than she realised.  
She didn’t even lead Ann to the bedroom, as she would usually. They did it right there on the couch.

***

When they were finished, they held each other, breathless. Leslie instinctively put her hand on Ann’s stomach, and Ann relished the contact.  
“That was incredible,” Leslie groaned. Ann nodded.  
“It was. It’ll suck when this all stops.”  
“What do you mean?” Leslie asked. “I know people say that having kids stops sex, but that can’t be true. I mean, maybe it was for _my_ parents, since there was only me and no siblings, but-”  
“No, I mean… in a few months, I’ll be _huge_. You probably won’t _want_ to do it with me.”  
Ann finished this with a short laugh, but Leslie could tell it was fake. Leslie sat up and looked at her.  
Ann was so beautiful. Leslie thought it every second of the day.  
“Wait… what?” Leslie asked. “Of _course_ I’ll want to. I mean, only if _you_ want to. If when you get super pregnant you just want to eat pie in bed, that’s fine too.”  
“But I’ll be _huge_ ,” Ann whispered. “I… I won’t be attractive, or sexy.”

Leslie’s eyes widened. “Ann! There is no way in the universe you couldn’t be sexy. You’re the prettiest woman alive. Now and always. I’ll _always_ want to have sex with you.”  
Ann laughed, and Leslie grinned.  
“I will!” she continued. “Even when we’re old.”  
“How old?” Ann asked, playing along. Leslie considered.  
“ _Councilman Milton_ old.”  
The two of them grimaced, before laughing.  
“Okay, you must _really_ love me,” Ann said fondly.  
“I sure do. And if you don’t want to _do it_ when you get further along, that’s fine too. But you’re beautiful. Okay?”  
Ann sighed happily. Something about the way Leslie said things just made her believe them.  
“Okay. Thank you. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
Ann leaned back onto Leslie, and the two of them lay together on the couch. It didn’t matter that they were totally naked, it was such a tender moment. Leslie found the blanket that had been cast onto the floor during their intimacy and draped it over them both.  
“Lots of topics covered today,” Ann commented once they were nestled down together.  
“This is what I like about us though,” Leslie replied. “We help each other.”  
Ann craned her neck to kiss Leslie on the lips. “We sure do.”


	74. I'd Follow You Anywhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie is stressed about the job decision, and Jamm gets to her in a way she didn't expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is okay. If anyone has any ideas for chapters let me know!

Leslie was staring at her work for a good hour. Something was off. Usually, filling out work in preparation for the Unity Concert sparked joy in her heart and a spring in her step. But since she got offered the job as Regional Director- a _huge_ opportunity- she couldn’t help but feel like she wanted a change.  
But Pawnee still needed her help. She wasn’t finished making it an incredible place to live.  
“Hey,” April said, standing in the doorway to her office. “You look sad. I respect that.”  
“Thanks, April.”  
April wordlessly handed her a bar of chocolate, and Leslie accepted it gratefully. Then April left to go and talk to Ron. Leslie couldn’t help but think about her future child. Now would be a crazy time to uproot and move somewhere else. If only she could find a way to stay here.

That was when she got a text from Ben saying that he had locked down the internet deal with Gryzzl. Another problem solved.  
Leslie knew that, really, all of her friends were working to make Pawnee a better place. Tom was opening his restaurant- which was _bound_ to be a success. Donna was a realtor now. Andy was having great success with his kid’s parties. Ron had a new son. Even Larry had a new name.  
Everybody was moving on. Maybe it was time for Leslie to do the same.  
Leslie was pondering this when she walked to go to the bathroom. She saw Jeremy Jamm as she was walking past, and she had to hold back a groan as he beelined towards her.  
“Hey Leslie, I saw your wife!”  
“You did, did you?” Leslie asked, breathing out slowly through her nose.  
“She’s huge! Who did she bang to get in the pudding club?”  
“The _pudding club_?” Leslie asked, irritated. “Do you mean _pregnant_?”  
“Whatever you want, babydoll,” Jamm said as he started to walk away. “But I’d maybe talk to her- she probably cheated on you.”  
Jamm walked off, laughing, and Leslie had to stop to process that as she rolled her eyes. Yep. She loved feeling like her wife’s baby wasn’t hers. Sure. Perfect.

***

When she got back to the office, Ron was tucking into a paunch burger. She sloped past his office, in a bad mood, and Ron frowned at her.  
“Knope!” he called through his door.  
Leslie turned and walked into his office. “Yeah, Ron?”  
Ron hesitated. “I purchased one too many cheese fries. Would you care to eat them?”  
Leslie looked at her. “You usually love extra cheese fries.”  
Ron shrugged. “I’m thinking of my health. For Dianne and the children.”  
Leslie looked at him skeptically, before sitting in the chair next to him with a sigh.  
“April… mentioned you were sad,” Ron said carefully.  
“Things are complicated, Ron.”  
Ron sat back silently, and Leslie let out a sigh.  
“Jamm was out there speaking to me like I’m nothing, as always. He made out like the baby isn’t mine, which it isn’t, technically, but-”  
“He’s wrong. That baby is _yours_.”  
“I know, it’s just… I don’t know what to do with myself. The Unity Concert is soon, I have this job offer to consider; the baby… my life is moving fast and… I don’t know what road to take.”  
Ron breathed in. “Well, I know you’ll do what you feel is best. It’s what you’ve always done. And don’t let degenerates like Jamm stop you from being great.”  
Leslie smiled at him. “These fries are great.”  
“Hell yeah.”

***

At home that night, Ann could tell Leslie was irritated. She had been pretty quiet during dinner, and whenever Ann looked at her when Leslie didn’t know, she had a look on her face like she wanted to kill somebody. When they went to wash up, Ann decided to ask her about it.  
“Jamm is _such_ an ass.”  
Leslie was scrubbing the dishes like her life depended on it, and Ann put down the tea towel and looked at her. Maybe she would tell her on her own.  
“What did he do?”  
“It doesn’t matter. It was a _vulgar_ conversation.”  
Ann frowned. “It doesn’t sound like something that doesn’t matter. What’s wrong?”  
Leslie dropped the plate and it fell back into the sink with a splash. “Okay, well, today he stopped me and asked me who… who banged you to get you pregnant.”  
Ann scowled. “Ugh- the _nerve_ of that guy!”  
“I know! And it just made me feel awful because, well, the baby _isn’t_ mine. Biologically I mean. And we knew that from the start, but this is the first time someone’s mentioned it in that way.”

Leslie stood there for a second in silence, and Ann cursed Jeremy Jamm for making her wife look like that. He truly was human garbage.  
But she swallowed down her anger and focused on Leslie.  
“Hey," she murmured comfortingly. "He’s _gross_. And _stupid._ If he doesn’t know the baby is yours through and through, then he really is just a dick with no brain.”  
Leslie nodded at her. “You’re right.”  
“This won’t get to you, will it?” Ann asked, looking at her. “He’s talking crap.”  
“No, it just made me angry. I mean, that’s just such an _intrusive question_.”  
Ann looked at her. “It is, yeah.”  
They continued washing dishes, but Leslie was still grumbling under her breath. Ann put her hand on hers, ignoring the soapy water. They stood there for a second together, and Ann leant her head on Leslie's shoulder. Leslie smiled at the contact.

“Leslie… what’s going on?”  
“I don’t know,” Leslie whispered. “I think I don’t like my job anymore? I love it, I do, but… well, I can’t stop thinking about how much more fulfilled in my career I’d feel if I moved on. Everyone else is moving on with their lives, and I’m stuck. Once this concert is out of the way, I don’t know what I’m doing with myself. But we have a baby coming, we can’t- it’s such a big decision.”  
Leslie sagged a little, and Ann leant back on the cabinet and looked at her, concerned.  
“How long have you been keeping this to yourself?”  
“Only today, I promise,” Leslie told her. “I’m just worried about this job.”  
“You’re so right for the job, Leslie. And it’s such a big opportunity- I’m so proud of you, honey.”  
“Thank you so much. I just wish we could find a way to stay in Pawnee. I’d take it on the spot if we could stay here.”  
“Well, you _know_ I’d follow you anywhere, Leslie,” Ann told her, before patting her bump. “Both of us would.”  
Leslie looked at her, a surprised smile on her face, before leaning over and kissing her. “I love you so much, Ann.”  
“I love you too, Leslie.” Ann hesitated, before wrapping her arm around Leslie’s back. “I think you should think about the pros of taking the job. Remember the post-it notes we put on the wall?”  
“Yeah…”  
“It’s that next step up that you were looking for. You’ve been unhappy in work, you need a change.”  
“But, that would mean _moving,_ " Leslie whined softly.  
“Hey, shhh," Ann soothed, rubbing Leslie's arm. "I know. And if you decide to stay, I get it. And we have a lot to look forward to regardless.”  
“That’s another thing, Ann. I’ll be so busy, we have a _baby_ coming…”  
“I think you’re going to be busy regardless,” Ann said with a laugh. “Knowing you, you’ll find some wonderful way to make it all work out. The Leslie Knope way that we all love.”  
“True.”  
“Whatever happens, I’m here. I’ll always be here.”  
“I know,” Leslie said slowly. “I know. God, I love you so much. All the pain just leaves.”  
"I'm happy to oblige." Ann leant over and gave her a kiss. “Speaking of pain, can you give me one of your spectacular Leslie Knope backrubs? The little one is being rowdy today.”  
“Of _course_ I can, Ann, you magnificent dove.”

The two of them sat down, and Leslie made short work of taking off Ann’s shirt. She started massaging her shoulders gently, and Ann hummed happily. Leslie made all the aches and pains disappear, just like magic. Just like always.  
After a second, she felt the baby starting to kick. She told Leslie to put her hands on her belly, and the two of them silently in awe of the baby as it moved inside her.  
“We’ll be fine,” Ann told Leslie, as she watched her smile in wonder. “Things are fine.”  
“They are,” Leslie replied. “I have you and the baby. Everything else will fall into place.”  
Little did Leslie know, she would find a solution to her problems sooner than later. But right now, she had Ann and the baby to make her feel happier than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <33


	75. You're My Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie solves her own problem, because she's smarter than she thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter feels like an ending but it isn't don't worry, I was just feeling soppy.  
> also I know that we've now reached the end of like the canon before the 3 year break, and I was wondering if people want to see a time skip once the baby is born or not?

“Do you want pickles?”  
 _“No, that was last week. Can you get me some sour cream?”  
_ “Sour cream? Wait, I swear I saw you eating pickles last night.”  
 _“Okay I was, but today they make me feel sick. Can I have sour cream?”  
_ “You want to just… drink some sour cream?”  
 _“No, it needs to be on bread. Oh! Can you get me some jolly ranchers as well?”  
_ Leslie gulped. “They’re not going on the bread too, are they?”  
She heard Ann laugh down the phone. _“Obviously not. That would be disgusting.”  
_ Leslie decided against commenting on how three days ago she had watched Ann eat a tortilla wrap with ice cream and cheese inside, and had said _nothing._  
“Okay, okay. I’ll be back soon. Has Andy called round with the final line-up for the Unity Concert?”  
 _“He just left. It’s gonna be so good, Leslie. I can’t believe you’ve planned all this and looked after me and you’re going to take on a new job…”  
_ “In _talks_ to,” Leslie replied. “I haven’t fully decided.”  
She heard Ann chuckle. _“Alright, alright. Are you home soon?”  
_ “Sure am. We can have lunch and then you can have a nap and I can finish final preparations?”  
 _“Sounds good.”_ Ann paused. _“Leslie, he wants an answer soon. Maybe, like, this week.”  
_ “I know.”  
 _“What are you going to say?”  
_ Leslie gulped.

***

“Leslie, why do you keep asking me to move with you,” April moaned. “Nobody wants to. I love you, a lot, but you can’t just bring us all with you if you decide to go. I like it here.”  
“Do you though? I mean, Pawnee is sort of crappy.”  
“Leslie.” April gave her a look, and Leslie winced. “Shut up.”  
Leslie groaned. “Okay, fine.”  
“Can’t you just appreciate how well the concert is going? I hate everything, and even _I’m_ enjoying it.”  
Leslie grumbled under her breath, and then Ann was there with four hot dogs.   
“You okay guys?”   
“Leslie is trying to get me to move in with her. I think you’ve been replaced.”  
Ann rolled her eyes, before putting her hand on Leslie’s back. “Leslie. Stop recruiting our friends.”  
“I want to move in with her now,” April said in a deadpan voice. “Sorry Ann, you’re out.”  
Ann was laughing and April even joined in, but Leslie just wanted to cry now. Why was moving such a hard decision for her to make? It was her dream job. It was her _dream job.  
_ But Pawnee was her dream place. And Ann was her dream wife. And they were happy here.   
Then April was, quite out of character, asking Ann how her pregnancy was going, and Leslie got a jolt of something. She didn’t want to leave. Everything here was so perfect- the only problem was her job. And since Ann said she was happy wherever Leslie was, Leslie just needed to figure out how to feel happy in her career again.  
“Are you ready to watch the next act?” Andy asked giddily as he raced over to them. April nodded, and then Andy was helping Ann out of her seat- she was getting pretty big now- and Leslie felt that jolt again. The simple act of Andy getting to her pregnant wife before she could made her so emotional. Ann was her family, and so were her friends. She couldn't give this up. It wouldn't be the same if they left.

***

It took a conversation with Ron, as it usually does, for everything to fall into place. And then everything was clicking in Leslie’s brain. Ron had started the brainwave, and then Leslie was realising that, actually, she could quite easily get everything she wanted. All it would take was some hard work on her part, and maybe some help from her friends.  
“Don’t think we’re not having a conversation about _Duke Silver_ ,” Leslie said as she ran to the door. There was no way she could leave Pawnee now- she needed to hear more about this enigma.   
Ron’s laugh echoed down the corridor as she was running home to tell Ann about her decision.   
Leslie was thinking about her baby. She wanted this baby to be a Pawnee baby. She wanted to stay here with her friends. 

And she knew how to do it.

***

Only a few short hours later, her proposal was accepted. Leslie couldn’t believe it.   
“Wait, you’re serious?”  
She felt like all she could hear was a steady, rising cacophony of jazz instruments blasting in her brain, congratulating her for her hard work.  
And then Ann was whispering in her ear. “I knew you’d figure it out. You're smarter than you think, and I love you so much.”  
Leslie turned to her, and she had an elated grin on her face. “I love you too!”  
And they were kissing, and her friends around her were all celebrating. It felt like one of those perfect moments. They don’t happen in a while. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt this happy. Of course, when Ann told her she was pregnant. But even then, her life was filled with uncertainties thanks to the recall vote. But now, everything finally felt like it was falling into place.

***

“We gotta’ have a party!”  
“Tom,” Ann said with a confused smile on her face. “The concert was literally like less than two days ago, and I remember you got _pretty drunk_.”  
“How does it feel being the only sober one all the time?” April asked Ann with a straight face.  
Ann frowned. “Aren’t you, like, sober now?”  
“I’m never sober.”  
"It's true," Andy cut in. "This week we've been brushing our teeth with beer as an experiment."  
Leslie listened to their conversations, but she still just felt like she was walking on air. She was staying in Pawnee. She was getting the job of her dreams. Her wife was pregnant.   
If she had told herself five years ago that this would happen, her past self would have laughed in her face.  
She looked at Ron, who gave her a friendly nod, before turning to Tom. “I think I have some emergency whiskey hidden in the wall. I’ll retrieve it.”  
“Oooo!” Andy and Tom yelled in unison.   
“Y’all better be sharing some of that with me,” Donna cut in.   
“I think even I can have a glass, even though it might _negatively affect me_ ,” Chris pondered.  
“You didn’t even drink at the concert,” Ben said to him, confused.   
“ _It’s a special occasion.”_   
They were all chatting now, preparing to get drunk in her honour, and Leslie stepped back from the group, taking in a breath.  
Ann stepped back from the throng too, and walked over to Leslie with a smile on her face.  
“Want to step outside?”

***

They sat on the bench next to the flower mural. Leslie wrapped her in a hug.  
“I’m sorry it took me so long to decide.”  
“I knew you were going to think of something great when you did. I can’t believe it, you’re so smart. And incredible, and… well, you’re a beautiful tropical fish.”  
Leslie squinted at Ann, who had such a cheeky smile on her face that she had to kiss her. When she pulled back, they were giggling.  
“So you’re happy with my decision?”  
“Incredibly,” Ann told her. “Although, I’d have been happy wherever. You’re my family, Leslie.”  
“You’re my family, Ann.”  
They kissed again, and then Andy was shouting to them from down the corridor.  
“Leslie! Come and drink with us! Ann, I have some soda for you to drink!”

Leslie and Ann shared a look. Leslie helped her stand- she was getting pretty big now- and took a second to place her hand on Ann’s stomach. Things felt right. Things felt perfect.


	76. Love and Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's an icy night, and Leslie doesn't make it home on time. Ann gets worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one should probably have a trigger warning for bad anxiety, I thought it was important to show that sometimes Leslie overthinks and believes the wrong thing when it isn't the case. Ann loves her unconditionally and no amount of anxiety changes that <3

Of course, the job was a dream come true. For the next week or so, that feeling of floating on air didn’t go. The pregnancy was going smoothly, Leslie had a new job…  
That did mean saying goodbye to the Parks department for good, which was bittersweet. She knew that she would never lose her friends. It was just time for her to move on.  
“I always knew you’d leapfrog me,” Ron told her gruffly.  
“You did?” Leslie asked him.  
“Of course. And any irritation I feel is outweighed by the fact that I’m damn proud.”  
“Oh, Ron.”  
“Don’t be a stranger,” Ron told her.  
Leslie promised that she wouldn’t. How could she be?

***

The nights were cold now. Almost too cold. The Unity concert had happened on a particularly sunny day, something that the gang had been incredibly grateful of at the time. But it felt like as soon as it was over, the weather decided to take a turn for the worse, and Winter ploughed on.  
Nothing could damped Leslie’s spirits, however, and she her burning passion wasn’t extinguished. If anything, she got more eager. Ann loved seeing this change- she was more on it than she had been in a while, and she was on one of her Leslie Knope highs that meant change would happen for the better.

One night, though, she left work late, after putting out about one hundred metaphorical fires, to see that the City Hall car park was covered with a sheet of ice.  
Leslie was a confident driver- she prided herself on being good at _many_ things, so edging herself down the road in the dark wasn’t too bad. She drove slowly, with her lights on, and kept herself calm and collected. She wasn’t even nervous- that was until she got out onto the empty roads and immediately hit a patch of ice so slippery that the car started to spin.  
Leslie kept calm and tried to keep control. The car only spun for a few seconds, and it landed rather gracefully on the other side of the road with a clunk, before sagging. Leslie took a second to catch her breath and then checked over herself. She was physically fine, but she was pretty freaked out. That could have gone so much worse.  
Hm, it seemed, the car wasn’t fine. She tried the key in the ignition a stupid amount of times. No joy.  
She took two deep breaths before getting out of the car. She slipped a little on the ice, having to grab the door of the car to keep steady.

What the hell was she supposed to do now?

Firstly, she needed to call Ann. Then she could call a tow company, or even just a cab. Anything to get home to her wife, who had already been expecting her for too long.  
Fumbling with shaking hands, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and hit call. How much should she divulge? She decided right before Ann picked up that she wouldn’t mention the _minor_ crash, and instead just say the car had broken down. She was fine- Ann would just worry, and she was pregnant. Ann being worried or scared was Leslie’s least favourite thing in the world- she would take angry Ann one million times over Ann being scared.

 _“Leslie?”  
_“Ann! I’ve had a bit of a setback, the car is broken down-”  
_“What?!”  
_“I’m just going to call someone, don’t worry.”  
_“Leslie, I’m worried, it’s really dark and icy outside-”  
_Leslie tried to move back into the car, as it was freezing, but took that exact second to slip on the same patch of ice. She stumbled to grab the car door again, but her phone fell to the floor with a smash.  
“Shit!” Leslie exclaimed, and managed to grab it off the floor. It was totally smashed- and totally dead.  
Leslie felt a jolt of panic and resorted to weighing up her options. Thinking quickly, Leslie decided that the best (and quickest) option would be to run home- she was only a twenty-minute walk away, which meant an eight-minute sprint. Even if she did manage to call someone, that would just put them at risk- the roads were treacherous, and Leslie didn’t like those odds.  
Leslie locked her car. It was quite lucky it had landed directly to the side of the road- she would have to come back for it the next day but, for now, it was out of the way. One part of her brain reminded her vaguely that it was a good job she had a new job- fixing the car and her phone was going to be expensive. She had done many park fundraiser fun runs in her time- this light jog in the dead of night would be a piece of cake.

She took off in the direction of home, thinking of Ann Perkins- the worried and very pregnant love of her life- just as the snow began to fall.

***

Leslie stumbled up the path, hoping that she didn’t look like she’s drunk when, in reality, her legs were so numb it was hard to walk. The run had started off so well, but the biting winds had made it a struggle, and it took her more like fifteen minutes to run back.  
But she was _back_ \- it didn’t matter that she was frozen. She tried to put her key in the lock, but her hands were shaking too much.  
But then, like a miracle, the door swung open and _Ann_ was there, looking scared out of her mind. Leslie felt her stomach raise and drop, like she was on a rollercoaster.

“You’re back,” Ann whispers, pulling her in for a hug. “God, you’re freezing.”  
Leslie shivered violently, accepting the hug for a few seconds before pulling back. She didn’t want to make Ann cold.  
“The phone just cut off,” Ann continued. “What the hell happened, Leslie? I nearly called the police.”  
“I’m so sorry. The car broke down so I ran all the way home because I dropped my phone while we were talking and I didn’t want to w-worry you,” Leslie explained. “I thought it- it would be b-better if I just do it myself instead of h-hailing a cab.”  
“It’s snowing outside,” Ann said furiously, her tone surprising Leslie.  
Leslie laughed a little. “Is it?”  
Now clearly wasn’t the time to joke. Ann’s frown got deeper.  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie told her. “I didn’t want to risk another person dropping me home. The weather is so bad.”  
“You could have found a payphone and let me know, Leslie. I’ve been so worried!”  
“I know you have, that's why I tried to get home as fast as possible,” Leslie replied, a grim expression on her face. “I didn’t mean to, Ann. I tried to lower your worry by running home. You know I would never deliberately-”  
“Well, too late, I already am. God, you’re so reckless sometimes!”  
“I’m s-sorry!” Leslie replied with chattering teeth, crestfallen. “But it wasn’t really my fault, I mean… what else could I have done? I got home as soon as I could.”  
Ann ignored her, storming back into the kitchen and angrily filling up the kettle. Leslie stood in the living room, her arms wrapped around herself, until Ann spoke without turning around.  
“There’s a blanket out for you.”  
Leslie slowly wrapped it around her shoulders, feeling nothing but shame as she lowered herself onto the sofa. She could hear the clattering of a teaspoon as Ann angrily made her a hot drink.

Maybe she should have called Ann from a payphone, but what good would that have done? She didn’t think she even had any change for one. All it would have left her with was a worried, pregnant wife, when turning up at home, _safe_ , was a _way_ better solution.  
There obviously was the small possibility that she could have _not_ been safe, but she was fine! Everything was fine and _wow_ her hands were almost blue. She shivered violently again, but then Ann was there with a mug of tea. She didn’t say anything- she still had that frowny look on her face.

“I’m sorry,” Leslie told her. “I sh-should have found a payphone. It just- it made sense in my head.”  
“A lot of things do,” Ann replied tiredly. Leslie felt that one in her heart.  
“I was trying to be more receptive to your stress, like we spoke about after- after Michigan," Leslie said. "I didn’t want you to worry.”  
“But I _was_ worried.”  
Leslie gulped. “Are you really angry with me?” she asked quietly.  
“I haven’t decided yet.”  
Leslie nodded, ignoring the tears prickling in her eyes.  
“Are you warm again?” Ann asked her, the concern for her wife overtaking everything else.  
“Sure am,” Leslie lied. There was no point going into how she felt chilled to the bone. Ann would just get worried again, and her wife was _pregnant_. No. No more worrying tonight.  
“Keep drinking your drink. I’ll be back in a minute, okay?” Ann said after looking at her for a second.  
Leslie nodded again, feeling her heart breaking, before watching Ann slowly walk to the bedroom and shut the door.

This was like Michigan again. And it couldn’t be. They had learned since then, hadn’t they?  
Why was it always her own fault?  
But this time, she genuinely did everything she thought of to make sure Ann _wasn’t_ stressed. She hated arguments and worry more than anything, and she would never act in a way that made them happen more often.

Leslie sat there for what felt like hours. Ann was so angry with her. Maybe she was packing her bags. Maybe she was going to go and stay with April and Andy. They would raise the baby to be so weird. It was meant to be _their_ weird baby!

This felt like the Michigan argument- Leslie _again_ felt like she didn’t have a leg to stand on, but this time, she had had Ann’s best interests in mind.

Wow, Ann had been in there a long time.

God, was Ann _leaving_ her?

She said she would never do that. But then again, Leslie had done something really bad this time. It was all her fault. She was terrible- Ann _should_ leave her.

She hadn’t learned from last time. She was a terrible person. 

She didn't deserve Ann. 

Ann was leaving.

She felt her thoughts spiraling and squeezed her eyes shut, until, miraculously, she heard the bedroom door open and soft footsteps. Ann was in front of her again. Leslie wiped her face before opening her eyes. Ann was looking at her, now in fresh pyjamas, and holding a pair out for Leslie.

“You’re crying,” Ann whispered. “Leslie, honey-”  
“Are you leaving?” Leslie asked tearfully.  
“What?” Ann asked, shocked. “I only went to get changed, I brought you some pyjamas too… What are you talking about?”  
“Are you leaving?” She gasped shakily. “I understand, I fucked up, I’m sorry. I just- I thought I had learned since Michigan, I was really trying to make sure I didn’t stress you out and I went too far the other way, I- I don’t deserve you Ann. I’m _terrible_.”  
Ann looked at her in shock. “Leslie, is that what you think?” Leslie didn’t reply, and Ann moved to join her on the sofa. “Leslie, _look at me_.”  
_“I’m fine.”_  
“No, you’re not.” Ann sighed softly, and Leslie turned to look at her. “I would never leave you. You _know_ that, right?”  
Leslie shrugged, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. Ann frowned at her.  
“I'm sorry, Leslie. I just got angry because I was worried. I’m okay now- I took a breather and thought it through, and I understand.”  
“You… you do?”  
“I do. And I need you to tell me you _know_ I’m not leaving you.”  
Leslie didn’t answer for a while. “I just need you to prioritize the baby, and I fucked up and I was trying not to make you stressed. I really was.”  
Ann’s heart sank. Therapy had been going so well for them, and they both knew that this was a setback. But she couldn’t deny how her wife was feeling right now. Ann sighed.  
“I know, Leslie. I'm so sorry, honey." Ann leaned closer. "This isn’t like Michigan. I know you did what you felt was right at the time- and you were trying not to stress me out. You did everything right. It’s not your fault.”  
Leslie sniffed. “Really?”  
“Really. I just needed time to cool off. I’m sorry I got so angry.”  
“S'not your fault,” Leslie told her quietly. “You have every right to get angry. I’d be angry at me too.”  
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, honey.”  
Ann reached forwards to squeeze her hand, but as soon as she touched her, she was letting go.

“ _Leslie!_ ”  
“What?” Leslie asked her.  
“Your hands are frozen solid!” She grabbed her hands again, rubbing them furiously as Leslie watched in surprise.  
“Ann… What- what are you doing?”  
“Warming you up.” She turned and grabbed the pyjamas. “You need to get changed. Now.”  
“Okay,” Leslie whispered. “I’m sorry.”  
Leslie was rubbing her face, and as Ann watched her, she had a strange feeling. “Why do I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me?” she asked Leslie slowly.  
Leslie hesitated. “What do you mean?”  
“Did the car really break down?”  
Leslie squinted at her, sniffing. “Why would you even ask that?”  
“Pregnancy gut, I don’t know.”  
Leslie squirmed. “Okay, to be _totally_ honest… it sort of… crashed?” Ann’s eyes widened, and she hurried to continue. “But I didn’t want to tell you, because I’m fine.”  
“It _crashed_?!”  
“It was more like a _soft bump_ \- it spun on the ice but now it’s just at the side of the road somewhere- it’s out of the way, don’t worry.”  
“I don’t care about the car," Ann replied, exasperated. "I care about _you_. _”_  
“I’m sorry,” Leslie repeated, finally letting the dam break. She sobbed and sobbed, and Ann felt her own heart breaking. “I’m so sorry.”  
“I know,” Ann whispered, wrapping her in a hug. “Deep breaths, honey. It’s okay.”  
“I-it’s _not_!” Leslie replied, pulling back. “I’m a terrible wife; I’m going to be a t-terrible Mom…”  
“Leslie!”  
“It’s t-true!”  
Ann scoffed. “That’s _not_ true. You’re an amazing wife. And you’re going to be an _amazing_ Mom.”  
Leslie was still crying, so Ann took ahold of her cold hands and guided them gently to her stomach, placing them there and holding them in place. Leslie’s breath hitched.

“You’ve done so many incredible things,” Ann whispered. “The baby in here is going to be _so_ proud of you. The baby in here loves you, and I _know_ you’re going to be the best Mom ever. Okay?”  
Leslie sniffed, before nodding. “Okay. I’m sorry.”  
Ann nodded back, a small smile on her face. “I know you are. It’s fine. Now _please_ go and get changed, you're still cold.”  
Leslie slowly stood, grabbing the pyjamas, and left, still with the face of an injured puppy.  
Ann sat there for a few minutes, processing everything that had just happened. Then she heard the shower running, just for a while, and she felt a sigh of relief.

She knew Leslie hadn’t meant to scare her- quite the opposite- but she had such a one-track mind that she sometimes omitted quite important details. But Ann understood. She didn't believe she had reacted badly, but she did sort of regret it now. Leslie had a tendency to spiral quickly, and Ann knew that. But at the same time, she had been so worried, sitting at home, waiting.  
Ann sighed, instinctively putting a hand on her stomach. This baby was going to be _so_ loved, and so much of that love was coming from Leslie Knope. But it was also entering a very chaotic household. Love and chaos.

When Leslie emerged, Ann could tell she had been crying in the shower. She didn’t say anything, she just wordlessly opened her arms and let Leslie lie against her.  
“I’m not squishing you, am I?” Leslie murmured.  
“Nope.”  
A silence. And then: “I’m sorry.”  
“I know. It’s okay. I'm sorry too.”  
Leslie took a shaky breath, but she couldn’t help but smile. Ann and the little baby- her family.  
“I want to do everything right for you. I would never deliberately upset you. Or stress you out, or- or anything bad.”  
“I know, Leslie. I would never deliberately upset you either.” Ann squinted at her. "Deep breaths, yeah?"  
Leslie nodded, and took a deep breath. When she breathed out, she sighed softly. “I want to be better.”  
“You’re already perfect,” Ann told her. “You’re putting so much pressure on yourself. You need to remember how incredible you are. Okay?”  
Leslie smiled sadly. “Okay.”  
Ann looked at her. “Are you okay?”  
Leslie put her head on Ann's shoulder, wrapping her arm around her stomach. The baby kicked gently, and Leslie laughed shakily.  
“Doing better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah i know the unity concert happened in summer time means nothing


	77. Baby Shower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not long to go!! Leslie and Ann have a baby shower, amongst other things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not much to really say about this one, hope you enjoy

“Ugh, my fingers are so fat. I-I might have to take off my wedding ring. It’s so uncomfortable.”  
It was morning, and the two of them were sat in bed on their phones. Ann’s nervous voice had cut through the silence, but Leslie was quick to soothe her.  
“That’s okay, honey. That’s why we have a jewelry box!”  
Ann smiled at her, leaning over to give her a quick kiss. “Maybe I should buy a chain? I could wear it around my neck until after the baby is born and my fingers become a normal size.”  
Leslie grinned at her. “That’s a great idea Ann, you wise owl. I’ll look online for some now.”  
Ann located the jewelry box, and when she looked inside, she felt her heart rate increase.  
“Oh my god, Les, look.”  
“What is it?” Leslie asked curiously.  
“It’s the necklace you made me that first year we became friends. Do you remember?”  
Ann held it up, and it glittered in the light. Leslie nodded slowly.  
“I do remember. Wow, I was so stressed about what to get you that first Christmas.”  
“Well, I’m sort of sad that I haven’t worn it for a while.”  
Then something clicked in Ann’s head. She yanked her ring off her finger (with great difficulty) and looped it onto the necklace, before putting it around her neck. The ring fell into place, looking like it was made to be there.  
Ann turned around and Leslie looked up from her phone. Her face split into a grin.  
“Oh, _Ann._ I love it! _”  
_“I know,” Ann replied softly. “I love it too.”

***

Ann had been worried that Leslie wouldn’t find her attractive this far along. But she had been so, so wrong. If anything, Leslie’s compliments increased. One day, Ann was struggling into a fuzzy jumper, her swollen belly on show for a moment. Leslie leaned over and kissed it, before moving up and kissing Ann’s lips.  
“You’re beautiful,” Leslie told her. “You know that, right?”  
“I might not if you didn’t tell me every second of the day,” Ann answered with a grin.  
“Well you _are._ You’re carrying our baby, and you still look like a supermodel.”  
“I feel like a sumo wrestler,” Ann lamented, letting a whine in her voice escape. Leslie sighed softly.  
“How can I show you that I think you’re the most perfect being in the universe?”  
Ann quirked an eyebrow, and Leslie giggled. _“Ann!”_  
“You wanna?” Ann asked, a little quiet.  
Leslie smirked. “Hell yeah.”

It was always a little slower these days- like Leslie was worried about breaking her. But they had both done their research and asked the doctor- and Ann was a nurse anyway, so she knew these things- but as long as they were careful, it was fine.  
So there was nothing wrong with the hot, steamy kisses they gave each other, and Ann felt her insecurities evaporate as Leslie pulled the jumper off her body and kissed her chest, her tongue lingering in certain places.  
Ann felt nothing but love and support as Leslie carried on, and when she was buckling from the throws of pleasure, she felt so, so loved. And beautiful. Leslie always made her feel beautiful.

***

“Leslie?” Andy asked her one day at work. “Are you and Ann washing your baby?”  
Leslie had to do a double take. _“What?”  
_“You know! Like, with everyone there, and people give gifts…”  
“Oh, a baby shower?”  
“That’s it!” Andy replied giddily. “It’s just, April and I have a little something, and we wanted to give it to you.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t tell her I told you- she wants everyone to think she’s evil, but she’s been excited about the baby for months.”  
An involuntary smile took over Leslie’s face. “Okay, Andy, I won’t tell. And to answer your question, I don’t know! I’ll ask Ann at lunchtime.”

Leslie made her way to Ann’s office. Ann was still working- only three shifts a week, two here and one at the hospital, but she would be going on maternity leave any day. Leslie saw Ann more than anyone else, but she would be lying if she said she wouldn’t miss her at work. But at the same time, it was soon going to be necessary.  
Walking into the office, she loved how Ann’s face lit up at the sight of her. Ann looked like how Leslie felt inside whenever she saw her wife- that never went away.

“Hey, honey!” Ann called. “How’s work going?”  
“It’s going well, how is my beautiful pregnant wife doing?”  
Ann laughed. “We’re both fine.”  
Leslie grinned as she sat opposite her, the two of them leaning over for a quick kiss.  
“Hey, Andy was asking me if we’re doing a baby shower. I don’t know if you’re into that type of thing, but we could always have a little get-together to celebrate the baby, and if people bring presents then they’re suckers and _we get loads of stuff_.”  
Ann laughed, and Leslie grinned wider. Seeing her laugh was the best thing in the world.  
“Leslie!”  
“I’m only kidding!”  
“It might be nice to have everybody together- I’m going to miss them all when I go on maternity leave.”  
“I’m sure they’ll still come visit. Well- some of them. Ron and Tom probably won’t, but we already have Ben and Chris over quite a lot as it is, and Andy already calls himself Uncle Andy.”  
Ann smiled. “I know, it’s really sweet.” She paused. “Okay, why not? A celebration of the baby.”  
“And if people bring gifts, then-”  
“-then they’re suckers,” Ann finished with a laugh.

***

So that Saturday, that’s what they did. At lunchtime, because Ann got weary around four o’clock these days, everybody was sat in their house. Leslie had decorated it with white balloons and banners- Ann suspected she had had them for a while, because they were up that morning before Leslie went to the shops for food.  
“The house looks lovely you guys!” Ben said with a smile.  
“It’s too cheerful,” April moaned. “It’s gross.  
“Is Craig coming?” Ann asked.  
Andy shook his head. “He said he was triple quadruple booked, and next time we need to tell him three weeks in advance.”  
“You guys didn’t specify to bring presents,” Tom told them. “But I think we all did it anyway.”  
“Yeah,” Donna cut in. “Because this kid deserves _stuff._ ”  
Tom grinned at that before, handing Leslie and Ann a sparkly bag. When they opened it, inside was a bib, with an Entertainment 720 logo on it.  
“I know the company sank,” Tom explained. “But the logo is so dope, I had to keep a few of these back. And your kid is gonna look _hella fresh._ ”  
“Wow!” Leslie said, elongating the O and hoping Ann would think of an appropriate response in time.  
“I can’t wait for the baby to use it,” Ann said quickly. “And hopefully, use it so well that food covers the logo,” she added under her breath. Only Leslie heard, which made her snort. “Thank you, Tom!”

Next were Ben and Chris, who were such a couple at this point that they gave a joint present. They were in talks to move in together after all, so Leslie and Ann had expected something from the both of them. What they _didn’t_ expect, was a beautiful photo album, totally empty, aside from the first page, which had had the baby’s first scan on there.  
“I also bought some high quality vegan baby food,” Chris babbled as they looked at it in awe. “It was Ben’s idea to get the photo album, and it was _literally_ the best idea he has ever had.”  
“You guys!” Leslie squealed. “This is gorgeous, thank you!”  
“You’re welcome,” Ben said with a grin. “I know you guys will fill it with loads of happy memories.”

Andy was so desperate to give his present next, that he tripped over his chair and fell into the salsa sauce. Once that was cleaned up, he realized that he didn’t even have the present, April did, and then April was handing Ann a present wrapped in black wrapping paper.  
Upon unwrapping it, however, inside was a soft knitted blanket with a fox cross-stitched on. It was beautiful, and Ann’s breath hitched in surprise.  
“Oh, April…”  
“I made it, or whatever.”  
“It’s beautiful!” Leslie exclaimed. “Thank you guys!”  
“Wait!” Andy moaned. “My present is still at the bottom!”  
Ann rooted around and found… a bag of skittles and a packet of starburst.  
“For the baby,” Andy explained with a grin, and Leslie grinned back.  
“Andy! How… thoughtful!”  
“It’s better than my present,” April hissed, and Leslie held up her hands.  
“Okay! Okay! Sure!”

Donna was next, and unsurprisingly, she had given them a load of baby clothes. She had promised many times she would “be the baby’s sole stylist" (a title co-owned by Tom) but Leslie did have to admit that she had a good dress sense.  
Larry hadn’t known that bringing gifts was implied and was of course very apologetic. He was also apologetic when he spilt the tray of sandwiches on the floor, but Leslie told him it was fine, she had made a back-up sandwich platter.  
“I promise you guys, Gayle and I have loads of things from when our girls were little that we can bring,” Larry told them.  
“I’m sure you have,” Ann responded warmly. “Don’t worry about it, Larry. And thank you.”

That left only Ron, who told them that his gift was in the car. He enlisted Andy’s help to go and bring it in, and the gang were left wondering what on earth it was.  
When Ron came in holding the front end of a beautiful, hand-carved crib, Leslie felt her heart grow three sizes.  
“Oh my goodness, Ron!”  
“I finished it early,” Ron explained in that gruff voice of his. “I hope you… like it. And if you don’t, it can be used as fuel on the fire.”  
“Ron, we love it!” Ann squealed. “I would leap up and hug you, but the baby won’t let me.”  
Ron awkwardly leaned down so Ann could give him a hug, and then Leslie was squeezing him tightly. When she let go, she gave him a smile, which then was given to the whole room.  
“You guys,” she said softly, choked up. “We are so happy, thank you.”  
“We’re just excited!” Chris practically yelled, making the room groan.  
“But we are though,” Ben emphasized. “Like, really.”  
“Yeah,” Ann said softly, finding Leslie’s hand and squeezing it. They looked at each other lovingly. “We’re excited too.”


	78. Maternity Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An incident at work makes Ann decide to go on maternity leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- anxiety

They were leaving work one night not too much later. It was dark outside, so all the cars driving past had their headlights on, casting spotlights into the road. Leslie had her arm linked in Ann’s, and they were walking slowly, trying to find their car. Ann’s walk was slower these days, but they walked in pace with each other, chatting.  
Leslie didn’t know how she knew, but it all happened very fast. The two of them looked left and right, and then they were crossing the road to get to the car. But then in the darkness, a car without headlights on was speeding down the road. Leslie almost froze in panic, but then her instincts kicked in and she was yanking Ann back onto the side of the road in a burst of strength, just as the car sped past them, the noise deafening.

Leslie’s heart was racing, and she nearly yelled out in anger at the car as they disappeared into the night. But then Ann’s breath was racing next to her, and she was gripping Leslie’s shirt in a panic, clutching her like she was a lifeline. Leslie felt her stomach drop.  
“Hey, you’re okay, you’re okay,” Leslie said quickly, but Ann wasn’t listening. She was crying, and Leslie cursed the drivers in Pawnee for the millionth time. Not only had Ann been in a hit and run before, but now she was pregnant, and they had nearly- no. Don’t think about that.  
“You’re okay,” Leslie repeated calmly. “Ann, look at me.”  
Ann did, and her cheeks were streaked with tears. Leslie knew they needed to stop her having a panic attack, so she started taking deep breaths, encouraging Ann to copy her.  
“You-” Ann tried. “You saved me.”  
“Shh, it’s okay,” Leslie whispered, wrapping her arms around Ann and bringing her close to her. She didn’t care if anybody else saw- to her knowledge there was nobody else around, so she held her wife as she cried. “Take deep breaths.”  
Ann did so, but she was still crying. Leslie moved to put a hand on her stomach, and then another on her back. “Shh. Is the baby okay?”  
“The baby’s fine,” Ann managed, her voice shaking.  
“Good. Are you okay?”  
Ann didn’t answer, so Leslie hugged her again. After a while, Ann’s crying had stopped, so Leslie moved away and took her hands.

“We need to walk to the car and get you home. Do you think you can do that for me?”  
Ann sniffed, before nodding. “Y-yeah. I think so.”  
“Okay,” Leslie replied calmly. “Let’s get to the car.”  
They managed to get there, slow and steady, and once they were in there Leslie was strapping Ann in because her hands were shaking.  
“I just- I didn’t expect that,” Ann tried to explain, and Leslie nodded.  
“I know.”  
“You saved us,” Ann told Leslie. “If it wasn’t for you…”  
“Hey,” Leslie said to her. “I’ll always be here. Don’t think about what would happen if I wasn’t, because I always am. Okay?”  
Ann managed a tiny smile, and Leslie felt a little better. It was so good to see her smile.

***

That night, Ann didn’t talk much. She kept rubbing her belly, and Leslie wondered if the baby was agitated. Ann was a nurse, though. If anything was wrong, she would know, and they would be at the hospital as soon as possible. But it seemed like everything was fine.  
Leslie just couldn’t stop thinking about how Ann had grabbed onto her, holding her like a lifeline. Her heart broke a little, so as soon as she was finished washing the dishes she walked over to her wife on the sofa and hugged her tightly.

“How are you doing?” she murmured.  
“I’m okay,” Ann replied. “I just… that was bad.”  
“I know it was, I’m so sorry.”  
Ann’s brow furrowed. “It’s not your fault Leslie.”  
“I just wish as City Councilor I had done more to stop speeding in Pawnee, like I wanted. But all Jamm would talk about were ping pong tournaments.”  
Ann laughed at that, and Leslie was relieved. “You did everything you could, Leslie. And tonight you saved the day. I didn’t even notice, how bad is that?”  
Now it was Leslie’s turn to frown. “Hey, no. Don’t do that to yourself, okay? Don’t.”  
Ann sighed. “Okay. Okay, I won’t.”

Leslie kissed her, and the two of them sat there quietly for a while.  
“Is there anything I can do for you, right now?”  
Ann sighed. “I don’t know. I’m still a little shocked, I think.”  
Leslie opened her arms and Ann nestled into her embrace. Leslie found the blanket and wrapped it round them both, then kissed the top of her head.  
“I love you,” Leslie whispered. “So much.”  
“I love you too,” Ann replied. “Thank you.”  
“You don’t need to thank me baby,” Leslie soothed, rubbing her arm.

The two of them sat there for a while, Leslie refusing to think about what might have been, and Ann worrying about what was to come.  
“I think I need to go on maternity leave,” she said finally. “That was just too close, I…”  
“Okay,” Leslie replied instantly. “That’s okay. I think that’s the right decision.”  
Ann turned to look up at her. “You do?”  
“Whatever you want to do is the right decision, Ann. We can sort it out tomorrow. Just relax for now.”  
“Okay,” Ann replied, safe in the knowledge that her wife would sort it all for her and make everything better. She was so lucky. But when she said that to Leslie, Leslie just chuckled.  
“And here I am, thinking I’m the lucky one.”  
Ann smiled, and she could feel herself falling asleep. It happened too quickly for some warning, but Leslie didn’t mind. Seeing Ann finally relax, even if she had her pinned down on the sofa, was more than enough for her. She just continued to hold her, all night long.

***

It had been a week since the incident, and Ann was getting used to staying at home. Or, rather, she had got used to how boring it was. And how uncomfortable she was, now nearly ready to pop, as she sat at home waiting for Leslie to come back.  
But Leslie was incredible- she was always coming home with something Ann needed, whether she had told her she needed it or not. It might be a new pillow, or another jar of olives (olives were a big favourite in the house at the minute- Ann couldn’t get enough of them) or even just a warm hug and a kiss- Ann needed those the most.

One thing Ann had noticed, though, was that she had developed a new habit. Ann couldn’t help it. It was natural- it was totally normal, if anything, so she couldn’t feel guilty. She had needs. Everybody had needs- who could deny her those simple, basic needs?

But her cravings had gotten worse. At first, she just liked _looking_ at Leslie’s waffles when she ate them; she used to be quite content just looking at them and eating something else. But then something changed and, all too soon, she wanted waffles. All of them. Dripping with maple syrup or covered in cream, it didn’t matter.

She started sneaking the odd one here and there. And Leslie didn’t notice. Or, rather, she didn’t think she did. But after a few days, Leslie was confused, checking the fridge.  
“I swear I had six waffles, now there’s only four.”  
“Oh yeah?” Ann asked, trying not to let on. “Well, maybe you ate them in your sleep.”  
Leslie turned around to look at her, confused. “What?”  
“I’ve seen you do that before,” Ann said casually. One time. It was quite impressive.  
“Hm. I don’t remember dreaming of waffles.”

Things escalated until, one night at four in the morning, Ann was craving waffles so much that she slipped out of bed (as quietly as she could, given the fact she was nearly the size of a boat) and crept into the kitchen.  
She was half-way through her second guilt waffle when a tired voice sounded from behind her.

“It’s 4am, what are you-”  
Ann froze, before turning slowly, revealing her shame. Leslie’s heart clenched.  
“Are those… _my waffles_?”  
Ann slowly shut her eyes. “Maybe?”  
“And you’re… _eating them?”  
_“….No?”  
Leslie let out a soft gasp. “Oh, Ann, how could you?”  
“Leslie-”  
Leslie pointed an accusing finger at Ann’s belly. “Baby, did you put her up to this?”  
“The baby had nothing to do with it, I swear-”  
“Oh, so you just _decided_ to eat my waffles? I… I can’t even look at you right now.”  
Leslie turned to leave, but then Ann was grabbing her arm. She could see that Leslie had a slight smile on her face. It was all a joke- of course it was- but Ann knew part of Leslie was probably annoyed, even if it was just a little part. Waffles _were_ her favourite after all.

“Leslie, wait!” Ann held up the last waffle. “I saved it for you.”  
Leslie flounced a little. “M’not hungry.”  
“Not even for waffles?”  
“Waffle, Ann. One waffle. Since the rest are gone.” Leslie edged closer and accepted the waffle despite her complaining.  
“I just had a craving,” Ann admitted sheepishly.  
“I _suppose_ I can forgive you. It’s not like I have a baby inside of me. If I ever do, I’ll probably want to eat all the waffles in the universe.”  
“Or you’ll hate them.”  
Leslie’s face turned to stone, and Ann let out a squeal as Leslie pretended to attack her- something that quickly dissolved into passionate, 4am, waffle-tinged kisses.

***

“It’s nearly time, Ann! It’s _nearly time_! Can you _believe_ it? Andy is so excited that this week at work he was writing new songs for the baby.”  
“That’s sweet,” Ann replied tiredly, heaving herself into bed. “I wish it was over now.”  
Leslie hummed soothingly. “Do you need anything? Some snacks? A back-rub?”  
“A back-rub would be lovely, yes please,” Ann replied with a smile. Leslie made short work of sitting behind her, and soon her fingers were working wonders on her back. Ann couldn’t help but feel aroused- she bit back a moan as Leslie continued to make her feel better, but she couldn’t help but tense her shoulders.  
“You okay?” Leslie asked slowly. “I can stop if you-”  
“No, no, it’s okay. It just… feels really good.”  
Leslie caught on immediately. Chuckling softly, she continued to knead Ann’s back gently.  
“Are you comfortable?” Leslie whispered in her ear as she carried on.  
“Very much so,” Ann replied, feeling at ease. She had been tense since the incident in the car park- it felt like at any moment something would happen to her and the baby, and that made going outside difficult. But Leslie was always, always supportive.

“I love you so much,” Ann told her. “You’ve been so wonderful throughout the pregnancy, and especially after what happened the other day, I just…”  
“You know I would do anything for you,” Leslie replied softly. “And even if that’s running to the store at 4am because you have a craving.”  
Ann blushed, happy that Leslie couldn’t see that from this angle. “Okay, that was one time. And besides, I’m so big now I can barely see my feet, how could I put shoes on?”  
“Oh, don’t worry,” Leslie teased. She leant over so her breath was hot on Ann’s neck. “I don’t mind.”  
Ann shivered. “Well… thank you.”  
“All done?” Leslie asked, slowly moving her hands down Ann’s back to do a final push at the base of her spine. Ann leant back, feeling another burst of love.  
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I know usually a backrub would turn into something more- err- intimate, but…” Ann gestured to herself. “I don’t think I’m quite down for that these days.”  
“Don’t worry!” Leslie said with a grin. “I’m just happy making you happy, whatever that is.”  
Ann smiled, before turning around. “That doesn’t mean I can’t do something for you.”  
Leslie gasped a little. “Are you sure? I don’t mind, I-”  
“Leslie.”  
“Well then… yes please.”

***

When they were finished, Leslie gasping for breath and smiling, she leaned over and kissed Ann.  
“Only two weeks to go, and then I can do the same for you.”  
“I think we’ll be a bit busy with the baby,” Ann replied with a chuckle.  
“I think the baby will want you to be happy.”  
“Well I think the baby will want my boobs more than anything else.”  
“Well then the baby is rude,” Leslie said with a giggle.  
“Can you believe it though? Two weeks and we’ll have a baby.”  
“Two weeks. I just hope you’re okay while I’m at work, I feel bad.”  
Ann smiled at her. “You’re so sweet. I mean, at first I was a bit bored, but I’m also just happy to do this. It’s so soon now.”  
Leslie kissed her again, and they nestled down together. Ann was totally at ease, because Leslie made her feel that way. The next week was going to come with a lot of surprises, but right now, they were content in bed together, and everything was well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! I promise the baby is coming REALLY SOON


	79. It's Time- Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann goes into labour a week early. Leslie is out of town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I probably haven't got this all correct in terms of what actually happens when you go into labour, sorry about that haha but I did try my best

The door opened, and Leslie and Ann walked inside, their cheeks flushed from walking outside. But they were all smiles.  
“That was so much fun!” Leslie exclaimed.  
“It was! I’m sorry I’m such a slow walker these days.”  
“Are you kidding? It’s great. It’s so serene, walking around the park with you.”  
Ann slipped off her coat and eased herself onto the couch, out of breath. But then she turned to look at Leslie, who was looking at her with such a soft expression.  
“Ann and parks,” she added softly. “Ann and parks and a baby. I’m so lucky.”  
Ann smiled at her. “I’m the lucky one.”  
“Untrue!”  
Leslie walked to the kitchen, and when she came back, she had a sandwich for Ann. All of Ann’s current cravings were in there. Cheese and fish. Ann wondered to herself how Leslie didn’t throw up making these weird meals for her, but that was that.

“I have a big meeting tomorrow,” Leslie told her as they ate. “And it’s out of town. But I can set my phone so if you need to call me, it’ll come through. And if for some reason I don’t answer-”  
“Call one of our many other dear friends, I know. You wrote me a very clear instruction booklet.”  
“I know,” Leslie replied, biting her nail. “I’m just worried. What if you need me for something? What if you have an itch you can’t reach?”  
“Leslie, you have to trust me, okay? Besides, soon you’ll be off work for a while too. Once the baby comes you won’t have to be at work while I’m here. It’s just one more week.”  
“But this is the crucial week, Ann! Any day now!”  
“I’m pretty sure the baby will come on the due date,” Ann told her. “And if not, well… I’m sure you’ll drop everything to come and be by my side regardless, so it’s pointless me telling you not to worry.”  
“I’m not a worrier, I’m a problem solver,” Leslie replied. “A pre-emptive problem solver. All potential outcomes are accounted for in my head.”  
Ann sat back and smiled at her. “You amaze me, Leslie. But it must get crowded up there.”  
Leslie scoffed. “You have no idea. And once this baby comes, it’s only going to get worse.”  
“It’s fine,” Ann told her firmly. “That’s what you have me for.”  
“And before you ask, I’m not bothered about time off work,” Leslie said breezily. “If you’ve taught me anything, it’s that some things are more important. And you and the baby are the most important things in the universe. You have me for anything you need.”  
Ann smiled softly. “Lucky us.”

***

The next day, Leslie was up and out early for the meeting. She gave Ann (who was still half-asleep in bed) a quick kiss, and then she was out the door by 8am, already a flurry of activity.  
That gave Ann some more time to rest. But by 11am, she was sitting on the sofa watching some crappy movie, the kind that Leslie would tease her about.  
She was just debating ringing her Mother when she felt a pain in her stomach.

She froze.

It felt like a pinch in her stomach, almost like pins and needles, but not quite. Ann’s breath hitched in surprise- had never felt this before, and immediately she realised that something was happening. The cramping continued as she scrambled to find her phone, trying to keep even breaths.  
She rang Leslie, who didn’t pick up. Ann waited for thirty seconds, and then Leslie was calling her back. She sounded breathless on the other end of the phone.

 _“Sorry, I just sprinted out my meeting. What’s wrong? Are you alright?”_  
Ann took a calming breath. The pain had stopped now, but Ann had a feeling it was going to start again soon.  
“I think your instincts yesterday were right Leslie,” Ann told her in an even voice, trying to sound chill. “I think I’ve just had my first contraction.”  
 _“WHAT?! Like, a contraction contraction? Labour?"  
_ "Labour, yes." _  
"Labour labour?"_  
Ann let out a breath. "Yeah, Les."  
 _"_ Oh _my god, I need to get to you right now but I’m out of town-”  
_ “Okay, well I’ll ring Ben and Chris. Your booklet says they’re both off today. When the time comes for me to get to hospital and you’re not back yet, they can pick me up and you can meet me at the hospital. Okay?”  
Ann could practically feel Leslie’s anxiety through the phone. _“Okay, Ann, yes. Good plan. Just take lots of deep breaths and- and don’t panic. Okay?”  
_ Ann had to smile. “Leslie, I’m fine. It feels weird but-” she paused as another wave of pain hit.  
 _“Ann?!”  
_ “I’m fine,” Ann said with gritted teeth. “Just having another one.”  
 _“Oh my god. Okay, well, I’ve abandoned the meeting. I’ll have to send Carl an email, because right now I’m sprinting to my car.”  
_ “Leslie, I’m fine. When they get closer together, I’ll leave.”  
 _“But you’re by yourself! Call Ben now and get him to get over there ASAP. Oh, I wish I was there with you, I feel so bad- no, you know what, it’s okay. We just need to stay calm.”_

Ann listened to Leslie think out loud, accompanied with the distant sounds of her running. As she did so, she texted both Ben and Chris. Luckily, Chris responded straight away saying they would both be there in ten minutes.  
“They’ll be here soon,” Ann promised Leslie. “I will keep you updated every second.”  
 _“Okay good. I’m only an hour and a half away, I won’t be long Ann. I love you so much, I’m sorry I’m not there.”  
_ “Just concentrate on driving safe. I love you.”  
 _“I love you too.”_

***

It was safe to say Leslie was incredibly stressed when she left the building. She quickly shot an email to the people she was having the meeting with, who totally understood. Now all she needed to do is get back to Pawnee as soon as possible and be there for Ann.  
It was just pure bad luck that, even after seven or eight tries, the car wouldn’t start. They had managed to fix it after the ice incident- or so they had thought- but now it was wheezing and spluttering like no tomorrow, and Leslie wanted to rip her hair out at the sheer terrible timing.  
What was good luck, however, was that when she leapt out of the car to run to the nearest bus stop, she spotted who else but Ron Swanson exiting a diner, still wearing his fashionable steak bib.  
Leslie thanked whatever deity existed in the universe, and wasted no time in sprinting over to him.

“RON!” she hollered from the opposite side of the road. “I’m so glad I ran into you!”  
Ron stared at her.“Leslie? What are you doing here?”  
“I had a meeting, what are _you_ doing here?!”  
She finally caught up with him, panting. He stared at her like she was growing another head.  
“I come here every third Wednesday to have the steak. It’s on my rotation of meat feast favourites. Why are you sweating?”  
“No time to explain. Okay, well, I need to. Ann has gone into labour. She is an hour and a half away. Car won’t start.”  
Ron’s eyebrows shot up. “That is surprising. Do you need to commandeer my vehicle?”  
“If you wouldn’t mind.” Leslie grabbed his arm. “But can we hurry?”  
“Of course,” Ron told her, taking off his meat bib. “We can be back in Pawnee in an hour.”  
“Ron, you’re my guardian angel.”

***

Ben only took ten seconds to get totally freaked out. Ann’s water broke, and Ben was half expecting the baby to fall out onto the carpet right then and there, judging by the way he kept cupping his hands and holding them near her. _That_ got annoying quick- sweet, but annoying.  
Chris, on the other hand, was a whole different level of irritating. He was coaching Ann through her breathing as she had her contractions- good. But then he was also coaching her every other second, and Ann wanted to scream.  
She loved them both- and she owed them a lot, really, but right now all she wanted was for Leslie to be there.

“When do we need to go to the hospital again?” Ben asked, his face pale after Ann finished another contraction.  
“When the contractions are sixty seconds apart,” Chris told him in a chipper voice. “I’ve been using my stopwatch to time them and I believe we are nearly there.”  
“Leslie isn’t back,” Ann lamented. She had gotten a confusing series of texts from her wife explaining that she ran into Ron, who was driving her back to Pawnee, as their car was, in her words, _totally batshit fucked._  
“I’m sorry Ann,” Chris replied. “But the priority right now is getting you _ready_ to _deliver new life into the world_. That is _truly_ the greatest joy of all.”  
“You wouldn’t be saying that if you felt like how I did right now,” Ann bit back, gritting her teeth again.  
“C’mon, Ann, let’s get you ready to go,” Ben told her, stepping in. “I’ll grab your stuff.”

***

They got to the hospital within half an hour, and Ann was pretty pleased to have the two of them there. While they were a poor substitute for her wife, they were still her friends, and she felt much better for having them there.  
“Thank you guys,” she told them as she was put into a ward. “I really owe you one.”  
“Nonsense,” Ben replied with a smile. “We’re just happy to help.”  
“ _Plus,_ ” Chris added with vigor. “I’ve _always_ wanted to give birth coaching a try. And now I can!”  
Ann winced. “Uh, well, when I actually give birth I think it’s best if maybe you wait outside.”  
Chris nodded. “Understandable. I will channel my positive energy into you from wherever I am.”  
“Into me?” Ann echoed weakly, but then the nurse was back and was telling her she needed to get changed. Ben told her they would be back, and then Ann was left wanting Leslie there more than ever.

***

“STEP ON IT, RON!”  
“Do you think driving over the speed limit is wise?”  
“It is when my wife is giving birth and we still have fifteen minutes to go!”  
Ron hmphed, but didn’t speed up. Leslie again wanted to tear her hair out.  
“Ron, I love you, but _please_?!”  
“No, Leslie. We’re getting there alive and in one piece. As much as I want to break the law as a free American citizen, I don’t think this situation is the time to be testing the Pawnee roads.”  
“I love you because you’re getting me here, but I hate you because you’re right.”  
Ron laughed. Leslie checked her phone- Ann said she was safe at the hospital, and Leslie just wished teleportation was invented because all she wanted to do now was appear by her wife’s side.

***

Ben was in the waiting room, pacing. Chris had told him to stand there so he could direct Leslie when she arrived. And when she and Ron did, he was the first to sprint over to them, feeling a surge of relief.  
“BEN!” Leslie yelled.  
“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “You made it. I can take you to her.”  
Leslie’s eyes filled up. “Oh Ben, thank you so much.” Then she turned to Ron. “And Ron-”  
“I know,” Ron replied, holding up his hand. “No need to thank me.”  
“But still-”  
“You can buy me a drink when this is over. Just go and have the baby.”  
“Thanks, Ron.”  
Ron nodded kindly. Leslie grinned at him, before Ben was taking her arm and they were hurrying down the corridor to Ann.

When they got there, Leslie saw that her wife looked tired. She already had a sheen of sweat on her brow, and she was in considerable pain. But her face lit up at the sight of her, and Leslie was so happy and so relieved that she could run over and kiss her, holding her face in her hands.  
“I’m here,” Leslie said, her voice shaking with emotion. “I’m sorry it took so long. Are you okay?”  
“Better now you’re here,” Ann told her.  
Chris and Ben took their leave, and then it was just Leslie and Ann. The nurse told them it was nearly time, and then Leslie was taking Ann’s hand, and Ann was squeezing hers tightly.  
“Are you ready?” Leslie asked her.  
“I hope so,” Ann responded, her voice nervous.  
“I’m right here,” Leslie said, as calmly as she could. “I’m right here, and I love you.”  
“I love you too,” Ann told her, before smiling. “We’re going to have a baby.”  
Leslie beamed. “Hell yeah we are.”

It was time to have the baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cliffhanger oop-


	80. Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into some of the different Christmases they have had over the years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little bit different!!  
> This is a series of one-shots focusing on the festive seasons that Leslie and Ann shared together, both as friends and when they were together. Obviously I've not written festive chapters until now so consider this an all-in-one, this fic might be finished this time next year but who knows!!
> 
> Also I just wanted to thank everyone for their continued support, but especially Rashidaamy for constantly believing in me, I love you and I hope you enjoy your Christmas present. 
> 
> Thank you, I hope you enjoy and also I hope you all and have a happy festive season, whatever you celebrate!!

**The First Christmas**

_“Hey, Leslie? I know we were going to do our gift exchange next week, but I’m actually going to go to Michigan to spend Christmas with my parents in a few days, so is there any chance we can do it tonight at mine? Maybe like six pm? I’ll ring you later, anyway. Bye!”_

Leslie listened to the voicemail for the sixth time. Leslie was usually an organised person. It wouldn’t usually be another. But she had been so busy with Lot 48 that she hadn’t been as _on-it_ with presents this year. And now she was going to pay for it. Both metaphorically and physically.

“Tom! Tom! Tom!”  
“Oh my god, what?!”  
“I need your help. Badly.”  
“Can’t you ask someone else?! I’m _exfoliating._ ”  
“No. This is serious.”  
Tom turned around to face Leslie, not realizing she was less than an inch from his face.  
“Gah!”  
“Sorry, I know!”  
“Why are you, like, all sweaty?”  
“Because! I don’t know what to get Ann for Christmas!”  
Tom sat back and whined, making Leslie frown angrily.  
“Do you have to? You’ve only been friends for, like, a few months!”  
Leslie tutted. “Tom! You are the king of buying people gifts, remember when you bought me an ascot? You snatched it back the one time I wore it for work, but still!”  
“That was because I got it for me, and it didn’t match my shades. It was a _hand-me-down_.”  
“Still. Please!”

Tom spun around on his wheelie-chair to properly face Leslie.  
“Fine, I’ll help you.” He made a show of adjusting his suit jacket. “You made the right decision coming to me. Is there anything Ann needs? Or better yet- something she _thinks_ she needs.”  
Leslie frowned. “Not that I know of. Last time I was at her house I tried looking through her kitchen cupboards to see if she needed an electric mixer, but she just gave me a weird look. And then Andy asked me to make him pancakes. So, no, I don’t think she needs any things.”  
“Hm. But _things are so good!_ You’ve seen my house, it’s _full_ of cool things!”  
“Yeah… no… I don’t think she needs any more stuff. I’m trying to think outside the box here.”  
“Lez-bomb, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s two things. One- girls always need more stuff. And two- Ann could use a serious makeover _anyway._ And you’ve come to the right person.”  
“Tom!” Leslie gasped. “I wouldn’t change anything about Ann! I just want to get her something nice that she’ll appreciate, sealing our friendship forever.”  
Tom rolled his eyes and thew up his hands. “Fine, just get married already!”  
Leslie shook herself. “Tom! Why would you say that?!”  
“I’m just saying! If you guys kiss, you’d better tell me first.”  
Leslie leapt away from him, squirming and muttering under her breath. Tom laughed at her from his desk.  
“I say get the most expensive thing you can. Girls love to know you have _d-d-d-dollars._ ”  
“Tom, I’m not trying to _get with her_ , would you drop it already?”  
“No can do, Knope. You enlisted me in this.”

Before Leslie could reply, April appeared at the door, like a phantom. The girl always seemed to hide behind her fringe, but her dark eyes glittered through.  
“What are you guys talking about?”  
“We’re trying to think of a gift for Ann,” Tom said in a sing-song voice. “I say, bigger is better.”  
“And I say I think it should be more personal!”  
April scoffed. “You should get her a bin-bag filled with black glitter and racoon teeth.”  
Tom and Leslie looked at each other. Leslie sighed loudly.  
“You are both useless. Thank you, and I love you, but goodbye.”

***

Leslie was usually great at giving gifts. Giving gifts was her specialty, if anything. Well, other than parks and being “a blonde pain in the ass,” but it was third on her list of talents.  
It wasn’t like she hadn’t got Ann any presents before. She bought her lots of whipped cream- although that was more so Ann had some in the house when she came to visit (Ann had eventually got used to accommodating Leslie’s cream addiction and had since started buying her own) and she had even got her the odd little gift here and there. But this was the first big whammy- the first time they would do a proper Christmas gift exchange as friends.

Leslie loved Ann a lot. And she wanted to have her in her life forever. It needed to be _good_!

***

After work, Leslie scoured the shops. But nothing was calling out to her, not at all. In a panic, she ran back to her house and tried looking through all her drawers. Maybe she had some good socks she could give her?  
It was when she was looking under her bed that she found something she hadn’t thought of in a while. Back in 2006 when she briefly took up jewelry-making. There were loads of lovely jewels and necklaces to choose from.  
Come to think of it, Ann loved jewelry. She had often talked to Leslie about how she wanted Andy to get her nice jewelry.  
So maybe Leslie should buy some. But at the same time, if Leslie made it herself, it would be special. And if Ann hated it, she could just burn it or whatever. Leslie had a good feeling about this- and if she didn’t like it, then…. hopefully Ann was nice enough to just not say anything.

So, for the next few hours, Leslie made a necklace. She selected the jewels that she thought Ann would like the most, and carefully put the necklace together. It would have been quite relaxing, if she wasn’t constantly stressing that this present was going to _suck._  
At the end, Leslie was actually quite impressed with herself. For a Parks Lady, it was pretty well made. And it was personal, like she wanted. There was no gift receipt though, and Leslie couldn’t help but curse herself for not being better. As per usual.

When Leslie got to Ann’s house, she was practically vibrating from the nerves. Ann opened the door and was all smiles.  
“Leslie! I’m so glad to see you!”  
“You are?” Leslie asked, laughing nervously.  
“Uh, yeah. It’s been a few days!”  
“Mhm. Yes. Well. Should we exchange gifts?”  
Ann frowned at her. “Okay, sure. I mean, we could wait until after we’ve eaten? I have a pie in the-”  
“Nope! Let’s do it now!”  
“Alright then.”

They sat down across each other on the sofa. Leslie was wringing her hands nervously, and Ann smiled slightly.  
“Leslie, are you... nervous?”  
“What! No! Of course not!”  
Ann smirked at her. “Mhm. Okay. Because if you were, I would tell you to stop worrying. I’m sure whatever is in this bag is totally great.”  
Leslie smiled at her thinly, before shaking herself. “Okay, I can’t lie to you Ann. I panicked and didn’t know what to get you, and nobody was being any help, so I went off a gut instinct but I think that was the wrong idea. But if you hate it we can just terminate the friendship, I don’t mind-”  
“Woah, wait a second. I’ve not even opened it yet and you’re thinking about ending the friendship.” Ann huffed, and her fringe flicked above her eyes in the process. Leslie couldn’t tell if she was amused by her anxieties or not- it was hard to tell.  
“I’m going to open it, and if I don’t like it, that won’t change how I feel about you,” Ann promised.  
Leslie laughed. “How you feel?”  
Ann bit her lip. “As friends, obviously.”  
“Of course, yeah. I mean- obviously as friends.”  
“Obviously.”

The two of them fell silent, and Ann finished pulling the present out of the bag. She regretted stuffing so much coloured tissues in there to pad out the bag, because now the damn necklace was right at the bottom. Hopefully Christmas 2010 would be better. Maybe she could buy Ann a horse. Did she like horses? Surely she did, if she lived in Pawnee.  
When Ann finally saw the necklace, Leslie squeezed her eyes shut. It was only when she heard Ann take a tiny breath that she opened her eyes, because she had no idea how to gauge that reaction.

Ann had her hand over her mouth, but then she was looking at Leslie with bright eyes.  
“Leslie, did you make this for me?”  
“Uh- yes, that’s correct. I made it myself.”  
Ann gasped softly, staring at the necklace in disbelief. “It’s- it’s beautiful. You didn’t tell me you were good at… wow.”  
“The guys wanted me to buy something extravagant, but… I wanted to make something special. For you.”  
“Oh Leslie, that’s so sweet. I’m glad you made it.” She paused to scoff. “No boyfriend has ever made a necklace for me.”  
Leslie watched Ann looking at the necklace, and for some reason she felt her heart-rate increase. This wasn’t the usual feeling she got when she gave people presents. Was it because Ann was her new best friend? Maybe it was. But she had had best friends in the past, and none of them made Ann feel the way she did.

Ann finally stood, practically jumping onto Leslie’s chair and squeezing the life out of her.  
“Thank you so much Leslie,” Ann whispered in her ear. “Will you help me put it on?”  
“Sure,” Leslie replied, scraping Ann’s hair away from her neck and fastening the necklace. She was conscious of her breathing as she did so, and it felt like her heart was super loud.  
And when Ann turned around, wearing the necklace Leslie had hand-made for her, well… she looked beautiful. And Leslie sort of wanted to cry.

This must be what it felt like to have a proper gal pal!

The spell broke when Ann turned to grab Leslie’s present- it was sort of squishy, and when she opened it, revealing a purse in the shape of a waffle, she laughed out loud- half in wonder at how she had never found one like this before, and half because it was so thoughtful she was laughing to avoid bursting into tears.  
“Ann! You’re a magnificent present-giver! Your ability to pick gifts is almost as incredible as your face.”  
“Uh… thanks?”  
Leslie sighed happily. “Wow, Ann. I love it so much!”  
Ann flapped her hand awkwardly. “No, thank you! I love my present.”  
“So do I!”  
They were grinning at each other, and then they were hugging again. Leslie almost wished Ann would stay with her over Christmas. Whenever she was with Ann, she was at her happiest.

Little did she know, in just a few short years, they would finally get together. And it would be beautiful.  
Not only that, but Ann would eventually go on to use the necklace as a place to hold her wedding ring, all those years in the future. When she was pregnant with their child.  
And Leslie would go on to tell people that, luckily, she got more savvy with gift-giving. But Ann insisted that she had been good from the very start.

**Mistletoe**

Another Christmas. Leslie could feel the festivities leaking into her brain. What made this Christmas even better was that it was she and Ann’s first Christmas as a couple.  
She used to worry about what to get Ann, but that fear was long gone. Now it felt like she knew Ann better than herself, and she was very happy with the present she got her.  
There was a joke present Ann had already unwrapped- a sexy Santa costume, to be exact- and they had already explored that avenue one cold December night. But Leslie was most excited about the real gift, which was a quilt she had spent the past two months making. She knew Ann loved fluffy blankets, and hopefully this would make her happy.

What she was most excited about was that she was finally getting a Christmas where she wanted to spend it with her partner. Most years, Leslie was a floater over Christmas. She saw family- the little she had in Pawnee- and then she drifted around seeing different friends.  
But this year, she was quite content to spend all of it nestled away with Ann, drinking hot cocoa and watching movies and just laughing and laughing.

It felt good to finally have that.

***

Ann walked into the Parks Department, looking for Leslie. When she saw she was still on the phone, she sat at the table, opposite Ben.  
“I like your cardigan Ann,” Ben said with a smile. “It’s very bright and cheerful.”  
“Yeah,” April cut in from the other side of the room. “Have you like, become Leslie or something?”  
Ann smiled at Ben, then rolled her eyes at April. “I’ve not _become Leslie_.”  
It had to be said that Ann occasionally dressed like her partners. She hadn’t really noticed it at first, but looking back at old photographs, it was clear now that she did. One time she dated a guy who was obsessed with scuba diving, so for those three months she suddenly loved sharks.  
Maybe she was picking up habits from Leslie. But she didn’t really mind.  
“Are you excited for your first Christmas as a couple?” Ben asked her, changing the subject. “Leslie was talking my ear off about it the other day. I think she’s very excited.”  
Ann smiled, a warm feeling encompassing her. “I’m very excited. I got her a new pantsuit. Don’t look at me like that, April, we both know she’s going to love it.” Ann sighed. “I’m a bit worried, though, Leslie keeps saying it’s her first Christmas with a, and I quote, _partner I actually care about._ ”  
Ben chuckled. “She said that to me, too.”  
“I hope I can live up to the hype,” Ann said with a small shrug.  
“You will,” April muttered. Ann turned to look at her, and April bared her teeth like a cat.  
Before Ann could think of an appropriate response, Leslie was barreling out of her office in reindeer antlers, and kissing Ann with such vigor that she forgot anybody else was in the room.

***

When Leslie and Ann got back to Ann’s house, since that was where they had opted to stay for the festive season, Leslie was babbling on about eggnog and stockings. Ann almost wanted to tell her to stop, but she was being so adorable that it was hard.  
“Hey,” she finally said, when Leslie eventually paused to take a breath. “I hope I can… I don’t know… fulfill your expectations this holiday.”  
Leslie looked at her strangely. “What do you mean?”  
“I don’t know, it’s just… last night you texted me saying I was _definitely_ going to beat you in the snowman-making contest. I just think you think I’m going to be good at all this stuff.”  
“That was only half a joke, Ann,” Leslie insisted. “But if you want, I can strike it out of our schedule.”  
“It’s not just that,” Ann carried on. “This is your first Christmas with a partner, and… well… I’m worried I won’t live up to the hype.”  
“Wait, what?”  
“Well… in the past, I’ve sort of felt like I could never be good enough for people. I never felt like I could fit in anywhere- friends never stayed for long. And then there was Andy, who was almost the opposite. He relied on me too much, but he never really knew me. I was just his pancake maker, or the person who bought him subways. And you’re different, because you see me as this amazing person and… I just… I don’t want to let you down.”

As soon as Ann said that, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her chest. Not just that, but it felt like she was expressing what she had been feeling for a while. Leslie loved people hard, and Ann just wanted to be good enough to live up to that love.  
Leslie’s face softened. “Oh, Ann. You lived up to the hype a long time ago. Spending any amount of time with you is a gift, and I’m just happy I got the privilege to do it.”  
Ann sighed softly. “Really? You mean that?”  
“Of course I do. You may not realise it, but you’ve done more for me than you know. You’ve totally changed me, and changed me for the better.”  
“I feel the same way,” Ann told her. “I valued you as a friend for so long. And these past few months have been amazing. I just… yeah. It’s been amazing. I love you.”  
“I love you too, you magnificent Christmas elf.”  
The two women looked at each other, before leaning over to kiss. Very quickly, however, Leslie yanked herself backwards.  
“Oh! Wait!”  
Ann watched in amusement as she fished around in her purse for something, before pulling out…

“Mistletoe?” Ann questioned, trying to hold back a laugh.  
“Of course! It’s tradition, Ann.”  
“Alright. Where should we hang it?”  
Leslie just laughed, before holding it above her head. Ann chuckled, before closing the gap between them and kissing her passionately. Leslie quickly discarded the mistletoe, instead opting to wrap her hands around Ann’s back, pulling her ever closer.  
“Merry Christmas,” she whispered, before kissing her again. Ann smiled as Leslie kissed her, and it occurred to her that while she had had long-term partners through the Christmas period, people she thought she actually liked, it paled in comparison to this. This feeling was brand new, and she wanted to keep it for as long as possible. Maybe even forever.

**Wives**

Snow fell from the sky. It was dark, but the Christmas lights on the bushes outside let Ann see the soft white powder on the ground.  
Leslie was out shopping- she had insisted Ann stay at home and rest _,_ because she had been up all night with nausea, thanks to the baby.  
As soon as Leslie came through the door, a wave of cold air did too. But Leslie was quick to shut the door, brushing snow off her coat and sighing happily. Ann turned around and stood up. Her wife’s cheeks were rosy and bright, and she gave her the biggest smile ever.

“Hi, honey!” Ann said. “Do you need help with those bags?”  
“No way, babe,” Leslie replied. “No heavy lifting for you. All you need to do is drink some of this sparkling cider I got you. It’s non-alcoholic so basically feels like fancy apple juice.”  
“Ooh,” Ann said with a grin. “That’s exciting.”  
Leslie walked into the kitchen and deposited the bags there. Ann started to help her unpack them, but Leslie handed her the glass of cider instead. Ann drank some, amused, as Leslie busied herself unpacking the shopping.

“Did you get the stuffing?” Ann asked Leslie as she watched her unpack the shopping.  
“Yeah, honey. I know you’re obsessed with stuffing.”  
“Says you! You’re obsessed with waffles. My stuffing obsession does _not_ come close to your love affair with a dessert.”  
“They’re a _breakfast_ , Ann. They can be substituted into any meal. And can also have a variety of toppings. You can’t put whipped cream on _stuffing_.”  
“Would you _want_ to?” Ann asked, frowning at Leslie. If she had a dollar for every time she frowned at something strange Leslie said, they could retire and buy a private island. Which would then probably be re-named Pawnee 2, or something like that. But she wouldn’t change it- the holidays made Leslie extra excited. When she was with Andy, the holidays had made him excited too, but she never seemed to be able to match his enthusiasm. And while she couldn’t match Leslie’s- she was feeling it a lot more.

“Okay, well, did you remember the sprouts?”  
Leslie scrunched up her face. “Ew, Ann. I banned them from the house a _long_ time ago. You should know this by now.”  
“I thought you could make a compromise for me,” Ann replied, her voice sickeningly sweet. Leslie sighed.  
“Yeah, the compromise came in the form of asparagus. I got lots of that. And cabbage.”  
Okay, good. This meal is going to be so good.”  
“And for Boxing Day, when your parents and my Mom come over, I’m making my famous Leslie Knope Christmas Leftover Pie. Also doubles as Thanksgiving Leftover Pie, which wowed them all last month.”  
“That sounds delicious. After we’ve finished here should we finish decorating the tree?”  
“Definitely,” Leslie replied. “Ron cut it down specially for us.”

***

“Do you know what I realised this morning?” Leslie told Ann from the top of a stool. She was putting the last of the tinsel onto the top of the tree, while Ann held her steady.  
“What did you realise?” Ann asked her, slightly amused.  
“This is our first Christmas being married. And I know we had our anniversary last month, but I’m really excited, Ann.”  
Ann smiled widely. “So am I. Truly.”  
Leslie hopped down from the stool and the stood back to admire her work. Ann watched her. The way that the lights from the Christmas tree illuminated her face, especially her eyes, and made her look utterly angelic.  
She had looked angelic on the night of their anniversary, too. Nothing too fancy- a home-cooked meal went a long way, and the two of them had been rather eager to have a quiet night in. They had spoken about their first year being married, and the two of them stayed up long into the night.

Ann couldn’t help but think back to their first Christmas together. Leslie, so unsure of herself. Ann just happy to have a friend who cared that much. They had come so far, and Ann was thankful for Leslie every single day. Christmas was a time to appreciate your family, and Ann had really lucked out. Back in 2009, she was happy to have a new friend like Leslie Knope. Now they had been married for a year, and they were expecting a baby.  
She couldn’t help it, but she started crying. Pregnancy hormones were a bitch, she thought, as tears flowed freely down her face. Leslie looked away from the tree and her face immediately fell.

“Oh, honey, what’s wrong?”  
“Nothing!” Ann said, sniffling. “Genuinely, nothing is wrong.”  
“But… you’re crying.”  
Leslie looked lost, and Ann felt bad now that her smile was gone.  
“I’m crying with happiness! I just can’t believe that we’re married, and- and we’re starting our- our _family_ …”  
Leslie felt a burst of relief, and watched Ann as she kept blubbing. Leslie just rolled her eyes with a soft smile and pulled her close. They hugged for a while, and then Leslie was pulling back from her and cupping Ann’s face. She leaned into the touch, and Leslie felt her breath on her wrists as her wife sighed softly. Leslie wiped her tears away with her thumb.  
“Do you want to know a secret?” Leslie asked quietly.  
Ann laughed. “Of course I do.”  
“All this? The domestic bliss, the festive season, the baby… It makes me want to cry too, Ann. I’ve been holding in tears for the past three nights.”  
Ann let out a breathy laugh. “You _have_?”  
“I have.” Leslie inhaled shakily, before she started crying too. Those inevitable tears. That made the both of them laugh out loud, and then they were kissing each other.

“This is going to be a good Christmas,” Leslie whispered, putting her hand on Ann’s stomach.  
Ann smiled. “Yeah. Yeah it is.”  
“And next year, our baby will be having _their_ first Christmas. Can you believe it?”  
“Not really!” Ann replied, a little breathless. “It’s going to be… wow. Our lives sure are moving quick, huh?”  
Leslie looked at her, before reaching over and grabbing her hand. “I’m not scared. Okay, maybe a little, but I can’t think of anyone I would rather spend my festive season with. Or my life. Because you’re my wife.”  
Ann smiled at her. “I agree, Leslie. I love you so much. _Especially_ in those antlers.”  
“I love you too, Ann, you dazzling Christmas cracker.”

  
And they spent the festive season together, as they would for many, many more years to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much love to all <3


	81. It's Time- Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baby time baby time baby time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is doing well, part two is finally up! I hope you enjoy.

Leslie knew that her whole life, really, had been leading up to this moment. She had always imagined having kids- of course, back then, she assumed it would be with a man. There were the days she dreamed about Mark, and kids were always something she imagined having. But nothing could ever have prepared her for the reality that she would have a child with Ann Perkins- _literally_ her favourite person in the known universe. If Leslie had told her past self that she had gotten that lucky, her past self would have pushed her into the pit and told her she was an imposter.

Because she never believed she could _ever_ be that lucky.

***

“You’re doing so well,” Leslie told Ann, pushing her sweaty hair away from her face and dropping a kiss onto her forehead. She was trying to give her the encouragement she needed, but she had a feeling that nothing would help at this point, which left her feeling a little powerless.  
“You think I’m doing well?” Ann replied with a gasp. “It feels like I’m getting nowhere, and the baby wants me dead.”  
“No, honey, you’re doing amazing! I love you so much!”  
“I love you too,” Ann managed. “But if this doesn’t end _right now_ then I’m just going to kill someone.”  
“If it hurts that badly, maybe have some Entonox?” A midwife said from the side. “Gas and air- it’ll help, I promise.”  
Ann looked at Leslie questioningly, but Leslie just shrugged. “That’s your choice, darling. I hate seeing you in pain.”  
Ann answered that with another pained groan, and then she turned to the midwife.  
“Fuck- _fuck_. Yes please.”

So, Ann was given gas and air, and the two women were very quickly noticing the side effects.  
“Okay,” she slurred slightly. “The pain is gone, but now I feel dizzy and-” she paused to laugh. “-a bit weird.”  
Leslie looked at the midwife in surprise, but the midwife assured her that it was normal.  
“Do you feel drowsy?” Leslie asked Ann. “Are you okay?”  
They were in between contractions, which allowed Ann to give Leslie what was now her full attention. Which came in the form of a tired squint.  
“My mouth is pretty dry. Hey, you’re looking hot today.”  
Leslie smiled at her softly, running her hand through her hair in what she hoped was a comforting motion. “Yeah?”  
“Yeah. Like my wife. She’s pretty fucking hot.”  
Leslie blinked in surprise. “She is, is she?”  
“Mhm. Hottest person on the damn planet. And I love her so much.”  
Leslie felt another strong rush of affection. “I love you too.”

***

Another twenty minutes down the line, and things had gotten even more intense. Dr Saperstein told Leslie that the baby was minutes away, and Leslie grabbed Ann’s hand and squeezed it tightly.  
“Honey, not long to go now. You just need to push a few more times and then it’s done.”  
Ann looked at her with teary eyes. “Leslie, it hurts.”  
Leslie was secretly glad she was calling her Leslie again and not _the hottie that looks like my wife._  
“I know baby,” Leslie said quickly, her heart clenching. Would the baby just come out already so her wife’s pain would stop?  
“It really hurts,” she whimpered, before crying out again, and Leslie let her squeeze her hand as much as possible, because there wasn’t much she could do otherwise and that killed her. When the contraction ended, Leslie was wiping the sweat away from Ann's forehead and kissing her.  
“I love you so much,” Leslie told her. “You’re so amazing, and I adore you more than anything in the universe.”  
“Even this baby?” Ann asked with a dry laugh.  
“Right now I’m focusing on you,” Leslie replied calmly. “And you can do this. Soon we’re going to have our own little baby, a new member of our family, and we are so close Ann. All this time we’ve been getting ready, and now it’s here. And I love you so much because you’re the person giving me the family I’ve always wanted. I'm just so sorry you're in so much pain.”  
Ann looked at her, surprised. “Anything, Leslie. Anything for you.”

“It’s time!” Dr Saperstein called from the other end.  
Leslie squeezed Ann’s hand. “You’re the strongest person I know.”  
Ann just looked at her in surprise, before giving her a soft smile. Then the pain was back, and Ann was crying out again.  
“You can do it, Ann!” Leslie called out.  
“What’s happening down there?” Ann asked. Leslie squeezed her hand then disappeared. After a second, Ann heard her voice from the other end of the bed.  
“Oh my god, Ann! I can see the head! Oh, wow. That’s gross. No! It’s beautiful! Oh my god!”  
Ann had to pause her pained grunts to laugh. Only Leslie could make her laugh when she was about to give birth.  
“One final push!” Dr Saperstein called, so Ann squeezed her eyes shut. But then Leslie’s hand was back in hers and she was letting her squeeze the life out of her fingers. She was here, because Ann needed her.

The pain was unbearable, that was for sure. But it was also the most bearable thing in the world, because once it was over, and Ann had collapsed backwards onto the bed with a gasp, there were a few seconds of silence. Then Ann and Leslie heard the most beautiful thing in the world. It was the sound of their baby taking it’s first big cry.  
Ann lay back, still feeling the pain, and gasping for breath, but there were happy tears running down her face. And then Leslie was there, kissing her softly and whispering in her ear. Her hands were back in her hair, pushing it out of her face, tending to her. Doing all the things that Ann needed right now.  
“It’s a boy,” Dr Saperstein announced, and Leslie and Ann looked at each other in awe.  
“A boy?” Leslie echoed. “We have a boy? Ann! We have a boy!”  
Ann grinned, still too tired to speak, but Leslie’s hand was in her hair and she felt so much joy right now she could explode.

Dr Saperstein disappeared for a few minutes, but when he came back, the baby was washed and weighed, and wrapped in a blanket. He was still crying, and while that noise would probably drive them crazy in just a few short days, right now it was the most beautiful sound in the universe.  
Dr Saperstein handed the baby to Ann, and the two women looked down at him, their faces both filled with total, total amazement.  
“Our baby boy,” Leslie whispered, before kissing Ann. “Honey, you did it.”  
“We have our boy,” Ann replied weakly. “Leslie, I can’t believe it.”  
“He looks like you,” Leslie said, her voice strained with emotion. “Ann, he’s perfect. He’s utterly perfect.”  
“Our little Oliver Twist is finally here,” Ann said with a laugh, and Leslie looked at her.  
“Oliver.”  
Ann turned to look up at her. “You think? Whatever happened to JJ Ron Perkins-Knope?”  
“Nope. He’s Oliver. Or, he is if you think he is too.”  
Ann smiled widely. “Oliver. Definitely.”

Leslie leaned over to lightly kiss Oliver’s forehead, before kissing Ann on the lips.  
She had never believed she could _ever_ be this lucky. But here they were- her little family. And it had never, ever felt more perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading :)


	82. Welcome Home, Oliver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver's first days in the world, and his first night at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me if this one is *too* sweet haha

Leslie and Ann- now brand new parents, had their first moment with their son, Oliver. Then it was time for Ann to deliver the placenta- something that she said was _a total pain in the ass_. Luckily, that passed by quickly without a hitch, and then Oliver was back in the room and put into a little cot next to Ann’s bed.  
He was fast asleep, now. Leslie could see his resemblance to Ann very clearly. He looked just like her, and it made her heart want to explode. When she turned to Ann, Ann was smiling at her tiredly. Leslie joined her on the bed, the two of them sharing it now, crammed on together and looking at each other in total happiness.  
“We’re parents,” Ann murmured.  
Leslie leaned over and kissed her. “Sure are. How are you doing?”  
“Tired. A bit crampy. Over the moon. Want to cry.”  
Leslie chuckled softly, before kissing her again. “I love you so much."  
"I love you so much too."  
"You’re incredible.”  
“A lot of women have kids,” Ann replied, trying to deflect the compliment.  
“Well then, a lot of women are incredible. You were amazing.”  
“Thanks, Leslie.”  
The two of them looked down at Oliver, and then something clicked for Leslie.  
“Shit! Everyone is still outside! I should probably go talk to them.”  
“Okay, yeah that’s a good idea. Also, did you just swear in front of our baby?”  
Leslie blushed. “He gets it.”  
Ann rolled her eyes. “Go. We’ll be here when you get back.”

***

Leslie sprinted into the waiting room, and all of their friends were there. It had been three hours, but they were still there. Leslie would have told them straight away, but she was so enraptured by her new child that all other thoughts and processes had gone out of the window.  
She fixed them all with a big smile and looked directly at Chris when she said: “It’s a boy!”  
Everybody cheered- she watched Chris’ face light up, and then Ben was giving him the biggest hug. Ron punched the air, Andy spun April around. Everybody looked utterly ecstatic for her, and she had to join in the cheer with them.  
Chris ran over and hugged her tightly, and she squeezed him back. “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear. Chris just laughed, and when they pulled back, his face was nothing but happy for her.  
"You are _literally_ so welcome."  
“How’s Ann?” April cut in to ask, surprising Leslie a little.  
“Ann’s fine, just a bit sore and tired.”  
April nodded, and Leslie accepted another intense hug from Andy.  
“Oh!" she remembered. "And he is called Oliver!”  
More cheers. Leslie swore she heard Donna say something about customising bedazzled baby clothes, and Tom saying he would invest in that.

“That’s wonderful, Leslie!”  
“Thank you Larry!”  
Ben gave her a warm hug, and Leslie squeezed him tightly. When she stepped back, Ron was there.  
“Congratulations,” Ron told her, after shaking her hand firmly. Leslie just laughed and pulled him in for a hug. He accepted it, which surprised her. When she pulled back, she looked at everyone fondly.  
“I should probably get back. Thank you everyone for being here.”  
“No problem!” Andy told her. “We need to have a party when you’re back!”  
“Okay, but we have a newborn, so it will have to be a chill party.”  
“Damn. I wanted to teach the baby how to rollerskate. His middle name is EXTREME after all!”  
“Is it?” Leslie asked, confused.  
“Sure! Or BLADE! Or- or THUNDER!”  
“Okay, well, once he’s older I’m sure he would love to be taught how to rollerskate by his Uncle Andy.”  
Andy stopped goofing around to sniff a little, emotion overcoming him. He nodded quickly, mouth quivering, before turning to April and hugging her, clearly overwhelmed. After a short while, Leslie bade them all a loving farewell, eager to get back to Ann and Oliver. As she walked back to the room, she felt so incredibly lucky to have such amazing friends. Every single one of them.

***

When Leslie got back, Ann was asleep on the bed. Only fair, really, since she had done so much work over the past few hours, she needed the sleep. Leslie made sure she was tucked in properly, before kissing her forehead. She loved her so much.  
Then she turned to Oliver who, surprisingly, wasn’t sleeping. Instead he was looking up at her with wide eyes, full of curiosity. Leslie’s heart nearly exploded _again_.  
“Damn, kid,” Leslie whispered. “If you’re not careful, I might die of cuteness.”  
Oliver looked at her, maybe to say he was sorry.  
“Don’t be sorry," she soothed. "I love you so much it doesn’t matter.”  
Leslie leant down to get a better look at him. He was a good size, even though he had been born a little early, he looked as healthy as a horse. That would be the Chris genes.  
“I just spoke to our family. They were outside. And they all love you.” She paused to laugh. “A lot of people love you. Me- I’m your Mom- _I_ love you. Ann, who’s asleep over there, she’s your Mom too. I didn’t actually birth you- that was all her- but I’m going to do my best to make up for that. I’ll do anything."  
She took Oliver's silence as some kind of acknowledgement.  
"We both will," she promised. "And we love you so much.”

Leslie sat down in the chair by the bed, moving over to glance at Ann. She loved the two people in this room so damn much.  
She turned back to Oliver, who was still looking at her, and lowered her voice.  
“Ann Perkins is your Mom, like I said. And she is the most beautiful person in the universe." Leslie snorted. "When we first met, I was a total disaster. But she totally changed my life, and now I’m so, so happy. I would be utterly lost without her." Leslie lowered her voice. "To tell you the truth, she is the best thing to ever happen to me, ever.” Leslie hastily shook herself. “You’re a close second, though! I’m kidding. You're both joint first.”  
Oliver wriggled a little, and Leslie laughed.  
“Yeah, you get it. Anyway, she gave me you, and you’re amazing. You’ve been here two hours and I already want to give you everything in the world. Do you want a park? I gave your Mom a park.”  
She sat back then, sighing happily. Oliver shut his eyes, drifting off. Leslie smiled.  
“Yeah. I’ll give you a park.”

***

Ann slept for a lot of the next thirty-six hours, but after that, they were ready to go home. Leslie had spent most of that time either talking with Oliver, watching Oliver, or having quiet, loving conversations with her wife. One of her favourite moments was watching Ann talk to Oliver- she was so calming, so loving, that Leslie again felt like she could die from the cuteness. Ann was ecstatic at the fact she was able to breastfeed Oliver straight away, something she had been anxious about in the run up, but it went down really well- especially with Oliver.  
When they finally left the hospital- in the evening- Ron was there to drive them home. Once they got there, he was struggling to contain the grin on his face.  
"Thanks, Ron!" Leslie told him.   
"No problem. I'm... happy for you," he told them, still trying to keep his composure.  
Leslie knew the feeling. It felt like she wanted to cry and sing at the same time- this little person… he was _theirs._ Her and Ann’s- and he was theirs forever.  
"Welcome home, Oliver," Ann told their son as they stepped over the threshold.   
Leslie looked at Ann, a grin on her face, and the two shared a sweet kiss. Then they each had to kiss Oliver- he would need to get used to it, because he was going to get kissed a _lot._

Entering their house with their son for the first time… that was a feeling unlike any other. The two of them were walking on air- they had this perfect child now. But that did come with some anxieties- from the two of them.  
“Do you think he likes me?” Leslie asked softly. They were sat on their bed- Ann was breastfeeding Oliver, who again seemed to be very much appreciating it.  
Ann looked at her. “Why wouldn’t he?”  
“You’re the one feeding him, Ann. Which, by the way, you’ve done amazingly- ten out of ten.”  
“Thanks, babe.”  
“No problem. I’m just worried he doesn’t like me.”  
“Leslie, in the best possible way… all he wants to do is cry, sleep, and eat. Which is pretty relatable. But I think the concept of having opinions on people is a little beyond him.”  
“He’s a genius, Ann. He’s half _you_.”  
“And since he’s half me I’m sure that not liking you would be impossible.”  
Leslie grinned at her. “Okay, you’re witty. You’re a witty sunfish.”  
“I was proud of that one,” Ann replied with a wink. “But seriously. I mean, I’m terrified too. This whole thing is amazing, but it’s also pretty damn scary. We just need to do it together, and learn together. We’ll make mistakes, but it’s going to be amazing.”  
Leslie shuffled down to lean on Ann’s shoulder. “It really is. I love you both so much.”

They sat in silence for a little longer, which was when Ann realised that Leslie had dozed off on her shoulder. She laughed a little, before putting her hand in Leslie’s hair, her other hand supporting Oliver.  
“You’re a cool guy, but if you don’t like her, we’ll have problems,” she told him.  
Oliver didn’t reply- which Ann took as agreement.  
“See, I knew you liked her. Sometimes she needs to hear it.”  
Ann sighed wistfully, and Oliver was wistful with her.  
“The other day- your birthday, actually- I heard Leslie tell you all these things about me when she thought I was asleep. And I’m not saying they’re wrong, but I think we need to even the score, huh.”  
Oliver continued his current task.  
“She said that I was the best thing to happen to her. You will probably hear this a lot throughout your life, but your Mom is the coolest person I have ever met. She’s the best person, the most loving, the kindest… all those things she thinks I am, _she_ is more than anyone. I love her. And she loves you."  
She paused to look at Oliver, who agreed.  
"And I also love you, by the way. You’re going to hear _that_ a lot, too, but especially from her.”  
Oliver finished, and took a second to look at her with his big eyes. Ann swore her heart would melt just from looking at his face. If she didn’t get used to it, she might die. But, then again, she somehow got used to having Leslie in her life, which at first she thought would make her die from happiness.

After a minute or two, she nudged Leslie, who stretched and looked up at her blearily. "You okay?"  
“Sure am. We should probably put this guy to bed, huh?”  
Leslie looked over at the crib Ron made, now pride and place next to their bed. She looked back at Ann and couldn’t help but fill up at the very idea.  
“Putting our son to bed in his first night at home. This feels better than when I finally got the graffiti off that fence next to JJ’s.”  
Ann laughed, before standing, holding Oliver to her chest. Leslie got off the bed and watched as Ann lowered him into the crib. Then all they could do was watch him, watch him with that same awe. Maybe it would wear off, but in that moment they felt euphoric.

After what felt like an eternity, they turned to each other, and they had to close the gap and give each other a tender kiss.  
“Bed time?” Leslie asked. Ann nodded, yawning.  
“You bet. I’m totally beat.”  
The two of them got into bed and, after switching off the light, nestled together.  
“Thank you,” Leslie whispered. “For him.”  
“Thank you for _you_ ,” Ann replied instantly.  
Leslie gasped a little. “Ann, don’t make me cry.”  
“Please don’t cry, or he’ll cry.”  
“Fair point.”  
They lay in silence, but then Leslie chuckled.  
“Do you really think I’m the coolest person you’ve ever met?”  
Ann gasped a little, before nudging her. “Hey, you were meant to be asleep!”  
“So were you!”  
Their voices were hushed, but each of them could hear the smiles in their voices.  
“i think you're the coolest,” Leslie insisted. “You’ve given me everything.”  
“So have you, Leslie. Always.”  
They fell asleep, then, their foreheads touching. Of course, it was only a matter of time before Oliver’s cries woke them up, but the two of them got up with tired smiles, ready to give their son whatever he needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <33


	83. The (Un)Chill Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang have a chill party in Oliver's honour. Both Leslie and Ann have some anxieties to deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone!! I hope this year was better than the last one lol  
> This chapter is a bit chunky I hope it reads okay

The first week of having a newborn was, understandably, both incredible and stressful. Leslie and Ann were both off work, and Leslie had at first worried that she would miss her job. But she very quickly realised that having a new baby took up more than enough of her time, and in their downtime, all they wanted to do was lie together and sleep.  
“God,” Ann complained as they settled down one night. “I still feel huge.”  
Leslie looked at her in surprise. “What? You’re gorgeous.”  
“No,” Ann groaned. “I’m still… chunky.”  
Leslie stood and put her arms on Ann’s shoulders. “Honey, it’s only been a week. Whatever extra weight you think you have, it’ll be gone soon. And besides, you’ve literally _just_ birthed a child, and given him life.” Leslie kissed her softly. “You should give yourself a little credit.”  
Ann smiled at her. “Thanks, honey.”  
“I’ll always think you’re beautiful,” Leslie reminded her. “But you need to know you are. You’re like… a effervescent goddess. Always.”  
Ann smiled, and the look on Leslie’s face told her that she was telling the truth.  
“Okay. But if the weight doesn’t shift soon I’m joining the gym.”  
“You do whatever you want to make you happy,” Leslie told her as she settled down. “I never really got on well in a gym. I always ended up flying off the end of the treadmills.”  
Ann looked at her. “Did you… turn them on _before_ standing on them?”  
“…No?”  
Ann snorted. “Okay. Sure.”

***

It was in the second week that Tom gently reminded Leslie that they still needed to have a party. And by gently, he texted her in all caps saying: “PARTY?? WHEN??”

**We have literally just had a baby. (sent: 14:06)**

Leslie smirked to herself. Sometimes Tom had to be told!  
His reply was almost instantaneous.

**I’m not saying make it as extravagant as the iconic Entertainment 720 End of the World Party circa 2011. But this baby needs to know how to party! (sent 14:06)  
Also Larry keeps saying he misses you and it’s getting really annoying. (sent: 14:06)**

Leslie looked up from her phone to poke Ann with her foot, who was quietly reading at the other end of the sofa.  
“Tom says we need to have a party.”  
Ann scoffed. “Tell him to keep walking. There’s no way we can have a party right now.”  
“I agree,” Leslie said, and told him as such.  
“I kind of want a nap,” Ann told her, so Leslie shuffled so Ann could lie against her, and the two of them got a well-deserved ten minutes before Oliver was crying again.  
“God, he really is turning into a Pawnee citizen,” Leslie lamented. “Always wanting something.”  
Ann laughed. “I’m not even from Pawnee, so he’s clearly getting that from you.”  
“I’ll go,” Leslie told her, pushing Ann gently back down. “You keep napping.”  
“You sure?” Ann yawned.  
Leslie nodded. “Of course. Go back to sleep.”  
Leslie slipped into the bedroom and shut the door softly, before picking up Oliver and hugging him to her.  
“Hey,” she soothed. “It’s okay. I’m here.”  
He didn’t need changing, and Leslie would have thought he was hungry if Oliver’s cries hadn’t very quickly died down. Leslie smiled softly as he fell asleep against her.  
“You just wanted some attention, is that it?” Leslie whispered. “Wow, maybe you _are_ like me.”

***

Tom kept persisting for a party, and after the _third_ week of persisting- when Oliver was just under a month old, they finally decided that- as long as it was chill, and quiet, and over by eight, they could have a party.  
“It’s not even really a party,” Leslie told Ben on the phone. “It’s just an intimate get-together. Quiet, and chill…”  
_“I think that sounds nice. We’ve not seen you properly in a while- understandably, of course, but… yeah. It’ll be nice.”  
_“Aw, Ben! So how are you and Chris?”  
_“I mean, living together has been great. It’s really got me thinking about the future.”  
_Leslie squealed loudly, but that was enough to wake Oliver up, who started crying.  
“Shit, sorry Ben, I need to run.”  
Ben laughed. _“No problem. We can talk about it soon.”_

***

That Friday was when all of their friends quietly arrived at their house. Even Andy was told to be on his best behaviour.  
“I haven’t seen Oliver Thunder since Leslie brought him into work, and that was like two weeks ago! And she only stayed for like half an hour!”  
“Yeah. We should get full custody of this child,” April added, and Donna rolled her eyes.  
“You guys are so weird. Gotta’ love it!”  
"Well I for one am just happy to be invited," Larry said with a smile, prompting everyone to groan. "Jeez, sorry guys."  
April had to smirk at how Leslie was both holding a child in one hand and handing them drinks in the other. Maybe it was her experience as a Regional Director, but April couldn’t even poke fun at her- she was holding the kid so well already, and a flow of small talk was coming out of her mouth. She looked like she had it all under control, and Ben commented on it.

“Oh, god,” Leslie said with a laugh. “It’s been total madness in this house. Right Ann?”  
“Right. I literally had to put on about five layers of foundation to get rid of my eye bags.”  
“I just embrace them,” Leslie replied, and then Ben was asking to hold the baby and April lost interest.  
“Ooh! You got nice dip!” Andy said, returning to join the ring and putting his arm around April.  
“Are you referring to the _actual_ dips, or to the bottle of mayonnaise in your hand?” Ann asked him, squinting at him in confusion.  
“Both!”  
Leslie laughed at them, before looping her arm around Ann’s waist. April looked at Ben, who was cooing at baby Oliver.  
“Are you going to steal him?” April asked. Ben looked at her affronted.  
“Of course not! I just- I like babies!”  
“Have a baby with Chris then.”  
Ben squirmed, before looking at Leslie, who nodded in encouragement. “I have been thinking about the future, I mean…”

Before Ben could continue, Chris bounded over to them, looking like he was about to shout in joy, but then lowered his voice on account of the baby.  
_“This is the best party I have ever been to,”_ he stage-whispered.  
“It’s just started,” April drawled.  
“And it’s not even really a party,” Tom groaned. “I can’t put music on.”  
“Still!” Chris said, just as Ann whacked Tom on the arm.  
“Dude!” she said. “We have a baby!”  
"Ann, by the way, you are looking positively _radiant_ ," Chris told her. Ann smiled.  
"Thanks. I was worried about the baby weight, but Leslie kept telling me I was beautiful."  
"She is! Right, April?"  
"You're okay," April muttered, before giving Ann an actual smile.  
Then Leslie smiled at Ann, who smiled back. Out of the corner of her eye, Leslie caught Ben as he sighed a little, probably at getting interrupted, before passing Oliver back to Ann. She looked at him, and he shrugged, as if to say _another time._  
It was then that Ron arrived, gruffly telling them that there were more people arriving too, that the party actually began.

***

By half five, everybody had arrived. All of Leslie’s park friends were here- chattering together, but a few of Ann’s nurse friends were also there, as well as some people from her department.  
It was actually a pretty chill get together- as Leslie and Ann had requested. Oliver even went down for an hour or two, but after a while he was hungry, so Ann disappeared for a while to feed him.  
It was going really well, Leslie told April before she decided to go to the bathroom.  
It was on the way there that she overheard a conversation taking place in the kitchen, by some people Leslie recognised as Ann’s nurse friends. She stood behind the door and she listened.

 _“I want to know who the baby’s dad is.”  
“Joanne! You can’t ask-”  
“I know, I know. But I wonder if it’s that Chris guy. He has such good cheekbones. And between us, I sort of miss when she was dating him. A bit of eye candy on the ward!”  
_The three women giggled, and Leslie felt her breath hitch. Maybe it was just because she was tired. But this was just upsetting her. She willed her feet to move, but she was frozen, and forced to listen to whatever else these nurses had to say.  
_“It’s just funny, really. If something happens to their marriage, Ann will be the one with custody.”  
“Why would you even say that?!” _said the one who was defensive. Leslie was appreciative that at least one of them realised how bad this conversation sounded. _  
“You must have thought about it. Don’t get me wrong, I love Leslie. I mean, she’s a bit intense. She embroidered me a pillow for my wedding anniversary with Keith.”  
“She did?”  
“Sure did. I didn’t really know what to say. I think Ann doesn’t know what to say sometimes, either.”  
“I wonder if the baby will be as intense as her?”  
“Well we know it won’t run in the genes, at least!”_

There was laughter, and that was when Leslie turned and slowly walked to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and cutting off the noise. The party was continuing as normal, but she just needed some time to sit by herself. This was very un-chill.  
She knew those guys didn’t mean it. They were just gossiping, and it was harmless, really. But Leslie was perched on the bath, and then tears were falling from her eyes and she was sobbing into her hands.

She knew Oliver was her son- she knew that more than she knew most things. But at the same time, it was hard to remember it sometimes. Especially when the _biological father_ was in their circle of friends. Soon, Oliver might inherit Chris’ cheekbones. He might take up running as a hobby. And Leslie would never change that, not in one million years- she loved her son no matter what, and she was so grateful to Chris for being a donor. But it was a little hard to wrap her heard around at times.

Leslie could feel her breath coming in quick pants. She slipped down the side of the bath and onto the floor, leaning against the uncomfortable surface of the bath and shutting her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing. Things had clearly gotten too much, because now she was having a panic attack alone in her bathroom while the now not-so-chill party was in full swing outside.

***

Ann adjusted her grip on Oliver as she exited the bedroom and was immediately met with Tom asking for his seventh refill. A refill of non-alcoholic cider, according to him, but his slurred words suggested otherwise. Then Ben asked her if they had mini calzones left, and Ann said she would ask Leslie. That was when, upon scanning the room, she couldn’t see her wife anywhere.  
Usually, she would be the life and soul of the party, dipping in between gaggles of people, laughing and joking. But there was a distinct lack of Leslie that she found quite odd.  
Frowning, she turned to April, who was standing close to her with a glass of some red drink she kept calling human blood.  
“Have you seen Leslie?” Ann asked her.  
April shrugged. “Nope. Not since she went to go to the bathroom like, ten minutes ago.”  
Oliver chose that moment to make a mournful sound. Ann looked down at him. “I know, buddy.”  
“Can I take him?” April asked quietly. Ann smiled at her, relieved.  
“Of course you can. I… I’d better find Leslie.”  
April accepted the baby, nodding. “Okay. I’m going to turn your child into a goat.”

Ann let out a sigh, before pulling out her phone.

**Not seen you in a while, are you okay? (sent: 17:55)**

It was only thirty seconds before Leslie replied, and that only made Ann even more anxious.

**no (sent: 17:55)**

Ann bit her lip and tried not to panic. She turned back to April.  
“I’ll just be a minute. Are you okay with him?”  
April frowned. “Yeah, of course.”  
Ann left them and walked through the party. She passed a group of her nurse friends, who were all laughing about something. She pushed through different groups of people, who were now all headed through to the back of the house and checked the bedroom, even though she had just been in there. Empty.  
That meant that she must be in the bathroom. Ann tried the door handle, but it was locked. 

**Can you let me in? (sent: 17:57)  
Nobody else is with me, I promise. (sent 17:57)**

It was less than a minute before the door quietly unlocked and, when she got in, she saw Leslie sitting down heavily next to the bath. She had her eyes squeezed shut and tears were pouring down her face. Ann knelt beside her quickly, putting her hand on her shoulder.

“Deep breaths. In and out.”  
Leslie did so, still crying, and Ann’s grip on her shoulder tightened.  
“That’s it. Well done.”  
“M’sorry,” Leslie finally mumbled.  
“Leslie, look at me.”  
Leslie opened her eyes, after what felt like a year, and looked at her. Her eyes were wide and glistening with tears. She looked incredibly upset, and Ann felt her heart clench.  
“What’s wrong?”  
Leslie shook her head. “No.”  
“No?”  
“No. It’s fine.”  
Then she started crying again, so Ann sat beside her, leaning against the bed. She encouraged Leslie to put her head on her shoulder.  
“Where’s Oliver?” Leslie asked.  
“With April. Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”  
“It’s nothing, Ann.”  
“It doesn’t seem like nothing.”  
Leslie sighed. “It was just I heard some of the nurses talking about who Oliver’s dad is, and then they were talking about me, and about how… how if we broke up, you would get full custody.”  
_“What?!”  
_“And- and it usually wouldn’t usually bother me, it’s just that I’m really tired and it’s obviously made me emotional.”

Ann looked at her, stunned. “ _Who_ was talking?”  
“It doesn’t matter, they didn’t mean it-”  
“I don’t care.” Ann felt her voice shake with anger. “ _Nobody_ has any right to be talking about my wife like that. Or our relationship- that’s disgusting!”  
Ann was so tempted to stand and go and kick them all out, but she didn’t want to upset Leslie further. She forced herself to calm down.  
“So, you just came in here by yourself?”  
“Mhm. I didn’t want to ruin the party.”  
“Oh, Leslie.” The two of them sat in silence for a second. “Leslie, of course you’re his Mom. It doesn’t matter-”  
“I know, Ann. It’s just… he’ll never look like me, or act like me. And that’s fine, but… it’s a bit sad.”  
Ann snorted. “He will definitely act like you. You’re going to teach him to love waffles if it kills you.”  
"Do I love waffles that much?"  
"You just bought a new waffle keyring yesterday, so..."

Leslie laughed, and Ann felt a rush of relief.  
“Do you want to come back to the party?” Ann asked. Leslie shrugged.  
“Yeah, I guess. I just wish that hadn’t happened, this was supposed to be happy. It was the chill party and I’ve ruined it.”  
“You haven’t ruined it. Someone _else_ ruined it and you quietly left and felt your feelings alone. I wish it didn’t have to come to that.”  
“Me too.”  
Ann stood, and then she held out her hands so Leslie could stand with her. Leslie did so, with a smile, and then the two of them hugged tightly.  
“You must be sick of this by now,” Leslie whispered into her shoulder.  
“Of course not,” Ann replied. “Not ever. A few weeks back I was complaining to you about gaining weight, this is much more important.”  
“Both our problems are important,” Leslie sniffed. “I love you.”  
“I love you too.”

***

When Ann left the bathroom after giving her a kiss, Leslie took a second in the bathroom to compose herself. Ann retrieved Oliver, who April had in her arms still, and she was talking to Chris.  
“Can I hold him?” Chris asked Ann, who smiled at him.  
“Of course you can.”  
April handed him over, before looking at Ann. “He’s sort of cute.”  
Ann’s eyebrows shot up. “He is, huh?”  
“Yeah. Where’s Leslie?”  
Leslie had told Ann not to tell anyone about the incident- she said she didn’t want to ruin the party, and while that made Ann sad, she didn’t want to risk her getting upset again.  
“Leslie had to sort something out on the phone, she’ll be back soon.”  
Ann turned to Chris, who was doing goo-goo eyes at the baby, and had to smile, despite the fact that she was worried about Leslie. It was great that everybody loved her son- her son was _great_. She caught Ben watching Chris, and she smiled at him. Ben smiled back, and did a little shrug.

Leslie got out of the bathroom and saw Chris and Ann, with Chris holding the baby. It made her heart race, a little, and at first her gut told her she would be imposing if she came over.  
“You okay Knope?” Ron asked her. Leslie turned to look at him, and she didn’t know what to say.  
But then Chris looked up and saw her, and his face split into a grin. “ _Leslie Knope!_ Your son wants to say hi!”  
And then Ann was looking up and smiling. And she was so radiant and beautiful. And so was their son.  
“Uh- yeah,” Leslie replied, smiling at Ron. “Everything is fine.”  
Ron nodded. “Good.”  
Leslie walked over to them, and she couldn’t help but give Chris a teary smile, and she came over and took Oliver. She kissed him, and then looked over at Ann, who she knew was having that same feeling of happiness. The look they shared filled her with so much love, and her previous anxieties were forgotten. The boy falling asleep in her arms was her son.  
“I got him to stop crying by dangling Leslie’s waffle keyring in front of him,” Chris told Ann. "He _really_ loved it!"

Yep. Definitely her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	84. Ben Makes a Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben rings Leslie asking for some very important advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter!! Still no idea when I'm going to end this, I was reading early chapters and it has totally gone away from the original prompt Flor gave me hahahaha whoops

“And _this_ is a permit. People use these to ask for permission to hold events in a park, such as barbeques or the occasional political rally. Isn’t that fun?”  
Oliver looked at Leslie with disinterest. Leslie huffed.  
“It is! Look, here is my work binder. This is number thirty-six out of fifty for this month.”  
Leslie opened the binder and showed Oliver, who was lying on the changing mat, his little legs wriggling all over the place.  
“Alright, fine. I’ll change your diaper. But you can’t tell me _my_ work is crap when I literally deal with _your_ crap every day. No offence.”  
Leslie changed him, and then put him back in his cute little outfit. Then she wrapped him up in the blanket April had stitched for him, and he was ready for his nap.   
“Do you want to watch a film with me?” Leslie asked him. “Your Mom is sleeping, so maybe we can sneak a viewing of Finding Nemo in before she wakes up. I know that film makes her cry.”  
Oliver didn’t seem to mind what film they watched together, so Leslie put the film on and held him, trying to get him to go to sleep. The low volume of the TV coupled with her embrace seemed to be doing the trick.

After about half an hour, Leslie felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. She muted the film and pulled it out, worried that Oliver had woken up. He had- but he wasn’t crying. He just looked at her in mild interest as she fumbled with the phone.  
“Oof, you’re no help dude,” she told him as she finally got her phone out. It was Ben.  
 _“Hey Leslie! Is now a good time?”  
_ Leslie looked down at Oliver, who seemed to be dropping off again. He clearly didn’t mind, so Leslie said that it was.  
 _“Great. Look, I need to talk to you about something.”  
_ “Look Ben,” Leslie said in a lowered voice, for Oliver’s sake. “If this is about the Twin Peaks message boards, I swear the person making fun of you wasn’t me.”  
 _“Okay, well now I definitely think it was.”  
_ Leslie snorted. “No! No way. So, what’s up?”  
 _“Listen, you know I’ve been living with Chris the past few months, and I really think I’m ready to take the next step. But it’s only been, like, a year and a bit since we started properly dating.”  
_ "It's been longer than that, surely?"  
 _"Maybe. I don't know."_

Leslie remembered their awkward first date at her and Ann’s wedding. She remembered how, when she got back from her honeymoon, she accompanied a nervous Ben to Chris’ house so he could confess his love. And now, here he was, telling her that he wanted to marry him.  
“Ben, if you think you’re ready then you’ve got to trust yourself. Only you and Chris know your relationship.”  
 _“But do you think it’s too soon?”  
_ Leslie considered. “To be honest, no. It might be if you had just met when you two started dating, but you guys have known each other for years. For longer than Ann and I have.”  
 _“That’s… true…”  
_ “But that isn’t even really important. April and Andy got married after like a month, and they’re the happiest couple I’ve ever seen.”  
 _“Again, very true.”  
_ “I say you should trust yourself more. I know I can lose confidence sometimes, but me in my right state of mind can accomplish anything.” She laughed. “Like saving the Parks Department from a grumpy state auditor.”  
 _“Hey! I thought all was forgiven!”_

The two of them laughed.   
“All I’m saying is, Ben, is that you can accomplish anything too.”  
 _“But if he turns me down, it’ll be so awkward. He wouldn’t want to date me after that.”  
_ “At least you’ll know. And besides, I have a feeling he won’t turn you down. I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. That’s something really special.” Leslie thought of her own love, and had to smile. “I mean, Ann proposed to me right out of the blue, but it was the best. The campaign had finished, and I didn’t think I could possibly be any happier. But… I could.”  
 _“I love that. And it really worked out for you guys.”  
_ “It’ll work out for you too. I promise.”  
 _“I have a ring and everything. I… well, I actually got it a few months ago. Quite a few months ago.”  
_ “How long ago?”  
 _“Okay, don’t laugh at me, but… well, after you guys asked one of us to be a sperm donor, the way he rose to the opportunity, it just… well it sealed the deal for me. But I knew it was too soon, so I’ve had it hidden all this time.”  
_ “Wow, Ben, that was…” Leslie looked down at their fully formed baby. “… _quite_ a while back.”  
Ben laughed. _“Yeah. Anyway, I should just go for it, right?”  
_ “Right. And hey- I’m sure everything will be fine.”  
 _“Thanks, Leslie.”_

***

Ben put down the phone with a soft sigh. He had been talking to her in the bedroom- Chris was at the other end of the house doing lunges, so there was no way he had heard the conversation.   
Ben knelt down and looked under the bed. Behind Chris’ spare weights, nestled gently underneath a well-placed box of cookies (Chris would never look there) was a ring.   
Ben let out a soft sigh. Now was the time. Maybe they hadn’t been together forever. But Ben wanted this to happen so, so badly.

He walked down the stairs, chuckling softly as he heard Chris singing to some poppy song on the radio. His voice was really bad, but he went at it with so much enthusiasm that it was hard not to enjoy it. And that was another reason to love him. He made him so cheerful, even when he couldn’t be. When he was unemployed, it was Chris who had got him back on his feet. It was Chris who had spent so many nights with him in hotels as they toured America, finding towns and fixing them up. He was his best friend.

Ben walked over to Chris, feeling the weight of the ring in his hand. Chris turned around.  
 _“Ben Wyatt!” **  
**_“Hey Chris.”  
“How are you?”  
“I’m great, actually. I just wanted to talk to you about something.”  
He got down on one knee, trembling slightly, and Chris’ expression changed. His eyes lit up and, for once, he was speechless.   
“Chris… I love you. Will you marry me?”  
Short, simple and sweet. That’s what they would go on to say it was. Chris grinned at him, his eyes sparkling with emotion, and Ben already knew what his answer was.

***

Ann walked out of the bedroom, yawning, to see Leslie holding a sleeping Oliver in one arm and typing up something on her laptop in the other. Smiling, she walked around and kissed her on the lips, and Leslie grinned at her.  
“Hey, babe! How are you?”  
“I’m good,” Ann replied. “What have you been up to? Just work?”  
“Well, I spoke to Ben on the phone a few hours ago too.”  
“Is he okay?”  
“Sure. I think he just needed some advice.”  
Ann smiled. “Well you’re good at that.”  
“Except for when it comes to what type of skirts to wear. Or cargo pants. Or what headgear to wear on a date.”  
Ann grimaced. “Do you _usually_ have to give advice on either of those things?”  
“No, that’s your job!”

They kissed again, and Ann sat down on the sofa next to her, yawning again. She rested her head on Leslie’s shoulder, so the two of them were nestled around Oliver.   
“Still tired?” Leslie asked gently.  
“Yeah, just a little. Usually I’m fine just chilling on the sofa but today required a long nap.”  
“Our son takes after you, then.”  
Ann smiled, and then Leslie’s phone went off. It was the group chat. On there was a picture of an engagement ring, perfectly fitted onto Chris’ hand. Leslie gasped loudly, and Ann looked at her.  
“What? What is it?”  
Leslie showed her the phone, and Ann gasped as well.  
“Oh, so _that_ kind of advice, huh? I can’t believe it!”  
“Neither can I! Oh, I’m so happy for them!”

Ann found her phone so she could send a message of congratulations.

**Absolutely thrilled for you guys! (sent: 16:43)**

Ann saw Leslie typing, and very quickly her message came through too.

**I AM OVER THE MOON THIS IS INCREDIBLE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (sent: 16:43)**

"Too much?" Leslie asked.  
"Hell no."  
Leslie leaned over and kissed Ann softly. The two of them melted into it, and after a few minutes it started to get a little heavier.  
“Should we put Oliver in the crib?” Leslie asked breathlessly. Ann smirked.   
“If you want to, sure.”  
The two of them hurried into the bedroom, carefully putting Oliver in the crib, before turning back to focus on each other.   
Soon the clothes were shed onto the floor, and they were on the bed.  
“Is this weird?” Leslie asked, pulling away. “I mean, our kid is right there in the crib. What if we scar him for life?”  
“He’s a baby! And he’s asleep!” Ann replied, frowning. “Unless you’re planning on being extremely loud, I think we’re okay.”  
“Maybe I was planning on that,” Leslie said with a wink, and Ann rolled her eyes. Soon the two of them were back to enjoying each other’s company. It didn’t take long for the two of them to feel the throws of ecstasy, and when they were done, they lay on the bed together, panting.  
“I can’t believe Ben and Chris are going to get married,” Ann whispered, turning to smile at Leslie. Her hair was crazy, so Ann smoothed it out for her. Then Leslie did the same for Ann, and the two of them looked at each other in soft appreciation.  
“I’m so glad we got married,” Leslie told her. “What a good decision.”  
“I agree,” Ann replied. “Best decision we ever made.”  
That was when Oliver woke up, and Leslie laughed.  
"One of many good decisions, obviously."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	85. A Trip to the Theatre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie, Ann, Ben and Chris go on a fancy trip to the theatre. It's Leslie and Ann's first night out without the baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is a little short, it's also the first half of a two part arc but the second chapter is so different to this one that I didn't bother making them an official two parter lol

Tonight was a big night.

It was a big night because the newly engaged Ben and Chris were going to the theatre and had invited Leslie and Ann to join them. They were under strict instructions to get dolled up- something they had taken rather seriously and were currently looking (in Leslie’s words) “stupid hot.”   
Not only that- it wasn’t just a big night because of the happy couple, but also because it was Leslie  
and Ann’s first night out since Oliver was born.

“Do you think he will be okay?” Ann asked for the seventh time.   
Leslie was surprised that she was the one staying calm- usually in situations like this, it was her thinking of all the negative outcomes. And while that was there, if she had learned anything, it was that taking a breather and thinking things through was the way forwards. She put her hand on Ann’s and squeezed gently.  
“Donna and Joe very kindly offered to watch him because they’re the best. We gave them everything they need; they’ll be here in ten minutes. I even found the waffle keyring he loves so much. Maybe Joe can dangle it in front of him all night to keep him happy.”  
Ann smiled at Leslie. “You think of everything. Must be because you’re a talented parks lady.”  
“I’m regional director, Ann!”  
“But before that, you were a parks lady. My parks lady.” Ann leaned forwards and kissed Leslie. “I’m not even that worried, I’m more just eager for us to have a good time. I’ll miss him, though.”  
“Hey, me too. But it will be nice to not have to think about him for a few hours, huh.”  
“Leslie!”  
“I don’t mean like that! I just mean… okay, I don’t know what I mean. I’m gonna’ miss that kid like crazy.”

***

Within the hour, they were outside the theatre. It was a gigantic, ornate building, and Ann was rather relieved that the boys had told them to dress nice. She couldn’t help but admire Leslie’s black and gold dress as they got out the cab. She had gone for a sleek, black dress, and Leslie told her every thirty seconds that she looked incredible. It was nice, really, both of them wearing gorgeous dresses they hadn’t thought about wearing in months.

“I might have a champagne,” Leslie was telling Ann as they got out of the cab to meet the boys. “See! I brought my fancy purse, to make me feel fancy!”  
“Why is it lumpy?” Ann asked. Leslie winced as Ann pulled out the baby monitor from the purse.  
“Leslie I thought you said it was going to be fine! Besides, this thing’s range stopped outside the house!”  
“I know Ann! I guess… maybe I _am_ a little nervous about leaving him. Not because of Donna- if she can get two annulments, she can handle our child. I just… it’s weird not being with him.”  
Ann sighed. “I know. But we’re going to have a great time. I can already tell.”  
“Oh yeah?”   
“Yeah. We’re going to have one drink and feel tipsy because of our crazy low alcohol tolerance now we have a kid.”  
“Hell yeah,” Leslie replied, as they walked through the doors into the theatre. It was lavish and incredibly pleasing to the eye inside- very high class. Trust Chris to know somebody here who got them free tickets. “Just so you know, we’re going to make out in that alley I saw next to the theatre.”  
Ann raised her eyebrows. “Oh really?”  
“Yeah.”  
“You got it. Oh, there’s Ben and Chris! Hi guys!”

Ben and Chris, arm in arm, walked over to Leslie and Ann with giant grins on their faces. Leslie could see Chris’ engagement ring from there- he had told the group chat in detail how they were going to find a perfect one for Ben in due course, but for now, it stood out proud on his perfect hands.  
“ _Leslie Knope! Ann Perkins!”  
_ “Hey guys,” Ben said, and the four of them hugged tightly.   
“Guys, we are beyond happy for you two,” Ann said, linking her arm through Leslie’s. Leslie smiled at the gesture, before looking at Chris.  
“Yeah, we are. I literally exploded when I found out.”  
“I had _no idea_ Ben was thinking of proposing,” Chris told Leslie.   
In reality? He might have had his suspicions. Ben was one to talk in his sleep, and usually it was about the intricacies of the Star Wars expanded universe, but more recently it had involved him. It was _literally_ the best surprise ever, nonetheless.

“I’m so excited for this play!” Ann told Ben as they found their seats.  
“Me too,” Ben replied. “I hope you’re not worrying about the baby. I saw Leslie has the baby monitor in her purse. Does that…?”  
“Work? No. I guess you could say we’re both a little anxious about leaving him, sure. Just because we’ve never done it before.”  
Ben smiled at her. “Well, try to enjoy the night. He’s probably having the time of his life with Donna.”  
Ann laughed. “I’m sort of sad I missed that, actually.”

***

Donna scrolled through her Instagram, the baby on her knee.   
“See her? She’s a bitch. Do _not_ trust her.”  
Oliver gurgled.   
“I know! She doesn’t even like Scandal. _Who_ doesn’t like Scandal?”  
Joe popped his head around from Leslie and Ann’s fridge. “Are you talking about Scandal without me?”  
“I’m showing the kid who on my social media circle I can trust. Oh, that’s Andy. He likes to post pictures of weird rocks he finds. Oh, jeez. There are your Moms. A cute selfie together, but the lighting is terrible! Listen kid, when you get older, _I’m_ managing your social media account. Nobody in your life has any style!”  
Oliver’s silence proved he agreed.

***

Once the two of them got into the swing of the night, Leslie and Ann were feeling great. Leslie had only cried thinking about her son _twice_ , and that was once during the interval and once in the second act, but she caught the tears in her fancy purse. Which made it more like a sadness purse, but it was better than ruining her dress.   
Ann’s worries about leaving Oliver had also diminished. It felt good to sit somewhere with her wife and hold her hand, stroking her thumb along her palm in that soothing way she loved. Leslie, in turn, slowly brought her hand down, away from Ann’s hand, resting it on her leg and rubbing up and down, very slowly. The very act sent shivers up Ann’s spine, and she had to remind herself she was sat next to two of her friends- in public- or she would have let out a moan.

It was only when they left the theatre, when Ben and Chris had stopped to talk to Chris’ friend that worked there, that Ann’s hand snaked around Leslie’s wrist and she was dragging her outside.  
“Where are we going?” Leslie asked, her voice both excited and confused.  
“We’re going to go around the corner into the alley and you are going to push me up against that wall and we are going to _make out_.”   
The two of them giggled, hurrying to the alley. And then Leslie was doing as Ann asked, pushing her against the wall and kissing her fiercely. It felt incredible, Ann could moan as loudly as she wanted now, and Leslie grinned wickedly before moving to kiss Ann’s neck, loving how her wife writhed in passion.

They were about two minutes into it when a voice from behind them made them stop dead in their tracks, their blood running cold.

_“Hello, Leslie.”_


	86. Right Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tammy 2 gets to Ann.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I genuinely can't tell if this is good or not

Leslie and Ann turned around to see the devilish woman fixing them both with a sultry stare. Ann rolled her eyes, and Leslie put her hands on her hips, irritated.  
“Tammy? _Tammy 2?_ What the _hell_ are you doing here?”  
Tammy raised her eyebrows and fixed them with a look.  
“I’m more interested in what _you’re_ doing. I should have just stayed to _watch the show_.”  
Ann scoffed. “Ugh, you’re gross.”  
“Who even _are_ you?” Tammy asked. “Actually, I don’t care. Leslie, I’m here to talk to you.”  
“I’m not talking to you!” Leslie replied, incredulous. “You can’t speak to my _wife_ like that! And besides, we hate each other! Last time we saw each other, you literally tried to kidnap me!”  
Leslie was staring daggers at Tammy, but she appreciated the way Ann squeezed her hand tightly.  
“That’s all water under the bridge, Leslie!”  
“I thought you went to prison!”  
Tammy chuckled. “I have my ways.”  
“Were you _stalking_ us? How did you even know we were here?!”

Tammy shrugged slowly. “Stalking? That’s a _strong_ word for following you and watching your every move.”  
“That’s _exactly_ what stalking is!”  
“Fine! I was stalking you. God, you’re persistent.”  
“What do you want?” Ann asked, folding her arms. Tammy rolled her eyes.  
“I was here on a date with my _new_ rich boyfriend who owns a private yacht. With a sex dungeon attached.”  
“Just what you always wanted,” Leslie said dully.  
Tammy winked at Leslie. “It won’t last. But when I saw your attractive male friend, I wondered if Ron was here.”  
“You hardly know Ron at all, then!” Leslie shot back triumphantly. “He _hates_ the theatre.”  
“He might have come to admire the architecture,” Tammy spat. “Besides, he's _changed_. I haven’t been able to locate him since he moved in with that _woman_. He’s made sure he’s totally off the grid, so I was hoping _you_ would lead me to him.”

“Listen here,” Ann barked, stepping past Leslie to stare daggers at Tammy. “Leslie isn’t doing that. Ron is her best friend, and you need to leave us all alone and _back off_!”  
Tammy growled at her. “I still don’t know who you are, but you’re just as irritating as her!”  
“Well get used to it, because I’m not letting you hurt my wife or Ron ever again!”  
The next sequence of events happened very quickly. Tammy snapped- her eyes turned wild, and then she was raising her fist to hit Ann.  
Ann held up her hands in fear, waiting for the inevitable blow, but none came. Instead, her eyes flew open in shock as she watched Leslie barrel in front of her full force, and push Tammy- hard.  
“Leslie!” Ann gasped.  
Tammy stumbled and then snarled at Leslie. “You can’t just stay out of the way for one second, can you, Blondie?!”  
“Oh my god, of course not,” Leslie replied, her voice filled with anger. “You’re trying to attack my wife, what the hell do you expect me to do?”  
“I expect you to stay out of it! You’re lucky you’re so confusingly attractive.”  
Tammy pushed Leslie, and Leslie stumbled into a trash can, making a loud clang. “Ow! Hey!”

Ann helped keep her steady, but then Leslie was putting her arm in front of Ann and scowling at Tammy again.  
"Are you okay?" Ann asked Leslie shakily.  
"I am," Leslie promised. "Ow."  
Ann's face darkened. She looked at Tammy. “You need to leave us alone- _all_ of us!”  
“No!” Tammy roared, and Leslie’s grip on Ann’s arm tightened. “Out of the way, Leslie, I’m going to teach your wife a lesson.”  
“Not a chance,” Leslie said firmly. “She’s right- you need to leave.”  
"Not before I get at this irrelevant woman a bit more. Or your _baby_ , maybe?!"  
"Hey!" Leslie yelled. "You can _fuck off_!"  
“Why should I?!”  
_“Because you’re a bully!”  
_Ann and Leslie’s heads whipped to see Chris in the alley. He pointed his fingers at Tammy 2. _“Tammy 2._ My fiancé is currently calling the police. I suggest you leave, unless you want to get sent to jail.”  
Tammy had vanished before Chris could finish his sentence, and Ann let out a shaky breath. Before she knew it, Leslie was wrapping her arms around Ann. She kissed her quickly.  
“Ann, are you okay?”  
Ann nodded her head quickly, before leaning in and squeezing Leslie tightly. Leslie squeezed her back, holding her and keeping her safe.

***

Ben and Chris brought Leslie and Ann back to their place. The four of them were sat on the two sofas, facing each other. Leslie had been given a cup of tea, but they didn’t have any whipped cream, so it sat untouched. Ann was sipping hers quietly, and Leslie was worried. She had been pretty quiet since it happened. She leaned in to speak to her, but then Ben was growling angrily. Ben was being loud. He was so angry- Leslie hadn’t seen him like that many times before, but he was practically vibrating with anger.

“The audacity! I- I can’t believe it! We should have chased after her.”  
“ _Ben_ ,” Chris replied, squeezing his shoulder. “The most important thing is that everyone is safe.”  
“Thanks to you two,” Leslie cut in. She glanced at Ann and rubbed her arm. Ann smiled at her but didn’t say anything.  
“Well I’m furious still,” Ben said, huffing. “She thinks she can bully anyone she likes. It’s a good job we heard the shouting from the alley.”  
“We should probably let Ron know,” Leslie mused. “I’ll do that now.”  
Leslie looked at Ann, who was looking into her mug. After a second she stood and left the room, shutting it quietly behind her. She got Ron on the phone quickly.

“Ron,” she told him as soon as he picked up. “We had a run in with Tammy 2 tonight. Be on your guard.”  
_“Noted.”  
_“She claims she doesn’t know where you live, thanks to you getting off the grid, but who knows.”  
_“Thank you for informing me. Are you alright?”  
_“I’m fine. She pushed me into trash but the worst I’ll have is a bruise. I think Ann is a bit shaken, though. Chris and Ben made sure she didn’t hurt us.”  
_“She is a venomous leech. I’m glad you’re all alright.”  
_“Thanks, Ron.”

***

When she came back into the room, it was quiet. Leslie felt a need to break the silence.  
“I’ve texted Donna saying we’re going to be a little late getting home, she understands.”  
“When do you want to leave?” Chris asked. Leslie sighed.  
“I mean, we should probably go soon. It’s past midnight, and we told Donna we would be back by ten, even if she is fine with it, I still feel bad.”  
“She understands,” Chris soothed.  
“I know, but still.”  
“Well, we will drive you back.”  
Leslie smiled. “Thanks guys. So much.”  
Ben and Chris smiled at them. “Of course,” Ben replied. “Anything for you guys.”  
When Leslie stood, she held out her hand and Ann took it.

When they got back to their house, Ben and Chris walked them to the door. Leslie unlocked it, but then she spotted Ann scanning the street.  
“Ann? What’s wrong?”  
“What if she’s followed us?” Ann asked quietly. “She _said_ she was following us.”  
Leslie bit her lip. “I don’t think so.”  
“But she probably knows where we live. We have a baby.”  
Leslie glanced warily at Ben and Chris, and Chris stepped in.  
“ _Ann Perkins_. I promise everything will be fine.”  
“It will,” Ben added, bringing Ann in for a hug. “If she thinks she can get to you or Oliver, she has another thing coming.”  
Leslie watched them comfort her wife, a smile on her face.  
Donna and Joe met them at the door then, and while pleasantries were exchanged, all Leslie could do was reach out and squeeze Ann’s hand. In reality, she didn’t know what was going to happen. But she had a lot to protect these days, and she was going to do it.

***

It didn’t take long for Leslie to thank the four of them and then they left, and Leslie and Ann were alone.  
Well, almost alone.  
The two women were relieved to see Oliver sleeping peacefully in his crib. Ann wasted no time in leaning over to stroke his face. When she straightened, she had a frown on her face, and Leslie hugged her tightly. She kissed her hair. There had once been a time when she couldn't do that. Or didn't think she could. But now, it was second nature. Loving Ann was second nature.  
“Ann, it’s all okay. Tammy isn’t going to come here. I hate to say it, but it’s Ron she’s after. Not us.”  
“I know, I just- we have a _baby_ , Leslie.”  
“I know,” Leslie soothed. “I know. But I’m not going to let her hurt you or Oliver.”  
Ann smiled, her eyes watery. “I love you. Are you okay? I didn’t even- I’m sorry, I-”  
“I’m fine,” Leslie insisted. “That trash can broke my fall. I’m kidding.”  
“Leslie.”  
“I’ll probably just have a few bruises.”  
“That’s not good!”

The two of them sat on the bed and Ann sighed, putting her head in her hands. Leslie was feeling really stressed thanks to Tammy, but all her energy now was focused on Ann.  
“You protected me,” Ann moaned. “You stopped her from hitting me, and then she pushed you into a _trash can_ , Leslie. Let me see where it hurts.”  
“That’s not the first time trash cans have been involved in a fight with Tammy,” Leslie told her, trying to lighten the mood. “After the woodworking event we wrestled in a giant garbage container.”  
_And then she tried to kidnap me_ was the unfinished end to that sentence. But Leslie didn’t want to mention that.  
Leslie lifted her top, and there was a bruise forming on her side. Leslie winced a little.  
“It’s not too bad!” Leslie told Ann, and Ann sighed.  
“Still.” She put Leslie’s top down gently, then looked at her. “Thank you.”  
“Of course,” Leslie whispered, leaning over to kiss her. “I love you.”  
“I love you too.”

***

_Tammy 2 was outside. Nobody was here._

Leslie jolted awake and she knew something was wrong. She blinked the fuzziness away, and turned her head to see Ann was sat up in bed looking like she had seen a ghost.  
“Ann what’s wrong?” Leslie asked immediately, turning to look into the crib. Oliver was fine, happily sleeping, so Leslie shuffled across the bed and pulled Ann in for a hug.  
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Ann?”  
“Bad dream,” Ann replied. “Tammy 2 was there. You were gone. I couldn’t find Oliver-”  
Leslie squeezed Ann tighter. “Oh, honey. Deep breaths.”  
Ann took a few deep breaths, sniffing.  
“Think of warm waffles,” Leslie added, to make Ann laugh, and she felt a little relieved when Ann laughed slightly.  
“I’m just- I’m still worked up.”  
“I know you are, baby. But Oliver is fine.”  
“I know he is, it’s just- _you’re_ not fine.”  
“I’m _fine_ ,” Leslie insisted. “Everything is okay, okay? I’m right here.”

The two sat in silence for a minute. Leslie was holding Ann, and Ann could smell Leslie’s hair. Leslie’s natural smell was sweet and comforting, and Ann loved it. She had loved her smell even when they were just friends. There were so many things about Leslie that she loved.  
“How’s your side?” Ann asked finally.  
“It twinges a bit, but it’s okay. I’m more worried about you.”  
“I know, and that makes me sad.”  
Leslie didn’t expect that. She sighed softy. “I’m sorry.” She paused. “If you must know, I don’t like it. It reminds me of- of when my appendix- you know.”  
“I know it does,” Ann replied. “That’s why I’m sad.”  
“But I’m okay,” Leslie promised. “We can talk about this next therapy session."  
"I know..."  
"And I’ve got you right here with me, so I’m okay. You’re an effervescent hummingbird- you _always_ make me feel better. I just want to do the same for you.”  
Ann sighed again, so Leslie rearranged them so that they were lying down. She held her tightly.  
“Try and sleep, okay? I’m here.”  
Ann let out a breath. She already felt calmer. “You always make me feel better,” Ann murmured. "I love you so much."  
Leslie smiled in the darkness. "I love you too."

***

Far away from them, Tammy 2 was hatching a plan. She just needed to track somebody down. It would take some time, and a lot of pride-swallowing, but she might be able to pull it off. Anything to mess with those park-obsessed weirdos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!


	87. The True Meaning of Photosynthesis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann go to the park to let off steam. They run into Andy and April, who each share some wisdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this one!

The next day, when Ann woke up, Leslie’s arms were still wrapped around her. Even in sleep she had a protective, warm embrace around her, and Ann smiled to herself. She felt much calmer now. The high stress situation of the night before felt like a weird dream now, and Ann almost couldn’t believe it had happened.  
Actually, she could. She remembered waking up after a fitful sleep, the nightmare gripping at her psyche, its claws deep in her brain. Whenever she had bad dreams, it was always comforting to wake up to her wife beside her. She hadn’t had as many bad dreams since going to therapy, and that almost made it worse when they did happen.  
She glanced over at Oliver, who was awake but calmly lying in his crib. Ann wondered how much of Chris’ genes were actually in that child sometimes, because quite often he was perfectly happy just to chill. That was her influence, clearly.

Ann felt Leslie shift beside her and turned to face her. Leslie blinked away, yawning quietly.  
“Good morning. How are you, my opalescent oyster?”  
Ann chuckled. “I’m okay. A little sad. Thank you for last night. For a lot of things.”  
Leslie leaned over and kissed her softly. “Any time, Ann.”  
“How’s your side?”  
Leslie wriggled, testing the waters. Then she shrugged breezily. “It’s fine. All good.”  
The two of them looked at each other.  
“What’s wrong?” Leslie asked. “Like, specifically. Your face just got a lot sadder.”  
“I’m just thinking about how our lovely night was ruined. Among other things.”  
“Aw, Ann. We will get other times. I’m just glad you’re okay.”  
Ann sighed. “I know.”  
Leslie craned her neck to check Oliver. “And that little guy had a good evening, by all accounts. Donna texted me saying that he enjoyed her Instagram feed.”  
“We can always count on Donna.”

***

Leslie could tell that Ann was agitated. She had a vacant look on her face while she was feeding Oliver, but after some prodding Ann just repeated that she was a little sad.  
“Why don’t we go out?” Leslie asked. “Stretch our legs. Get out the house.”  
“Yeah,” Ann replied.  
She forced herself to smile, but she was just feeling a little… well, stressed. The night before felt like a dream. A good dream at first- the theatre had been lovely, and kissing Leslie in the alley… it sent shivers down Ann’s spine. But then it had gone south, and Ann hadn’t felt that stressed in a while. She had practically dissociated herself by the time they got back to Ben and Chris’, and she knew that Leslie was worried, but she had genuinely not known how to react.  
She had texted Dr Nygard, but he wasn’t free until Monday afternoon, which wasn’t great. Not only was that situation incredibly stressful, but the fact that last time Leslie had fought Tammy, she had fought her alone… it was almost too scary to think of.

Ann rubbed Leslie’s arm as they dressed Oliver in his coat and shoes and loaded him into the pram. Leslie finished tucking him in and looked up at her, smiling.  
“The weather looks lovely.”  
“It does.”  
“You ready?” she asked. Ann smiled.  
“Yeah.”  
“Good.” Leslie straightened up and kissed her softly. Ann smiled for real, then.  
“Let’s have a nice day,” she said to Leslie, almost like it was a command. The night before was meant to be their day off. It had all been so lovey, until it wasn’t. She was going to make the most of today- going to the park with her wife and her son.

***

Leslie was right- it _was_ a lovely day. The sun was shining, and there were already lots of people out in the park. Leslie was pushing the pram, and Ann’s arm was linked in hers. That meant that they were walking in incredibly close proximity to each other, and Ann loved the way that her wife’s body brushed up against hers occasionally. She turned to her.  
“You look gorgeous, honey.”  
Leslie grinned. “Ann! Thank you! I’m fairly sure it’s last night’s makeup, but thanks.”  
Ann laughed. “Same here.” She sighed contentedly, tightening her grip on Leslie’s arm.  
Leslie looked at her. “You okay?”  
“Yeah.”  
“Good. Oh my god, babe- it’s April and Andy!” Leslie jumped up and down excitedly, and Ann looked at her, a bemused smile on her face. “Andy! April! Hi!”

Andy and April were a little way down the path, walking their three-legged dog Champion. When April saw them, she turned and tried to walk the other way, but Andy had his hand in hers, so she was forced to keep walking over to them. Ann sighed a little, rolling her eyes.  
“April!” Leslie called in a sing-song voice. If she noticed April’s reluctance to speak, she didn’t say anything. Andy said a giddy hello to them both, before he was looking in the pram at Oliver.  
“Hey buddy! Hey! It’s your Uncle Andy!”  
“And your godmother- _Satan_.”  
“Hello April,” Ann said sweetly. “How are you?”  
“Fine.”  
“That’s good.”  
Andy was looking at Leslie with pleading eyes. “Can I hold him? Please?”  
“Of course! Shall we sit?”

The four of them sat down on the grass. Ann was surprised when April sat next to her.  
“I heard about Tammy,” she muttered. Ann grimaced.  
“Oh- yeah.”  
“You should have gone for her eyes. Gouged them out and made her eat them.”  
“I unfortunately didn’t think of that at the time.”  
Ann turned to watch Leslie as she put the baby into Andy’s arms. It was weird- Oliver was starting to look like a proper person now, and he had real expressions. Now he was a few months old, he didn’t just stare around- he looked with _purpose_. And right then, he was staring at Andy with such intense interest that Ann had to laugh.  
“I think he likes you Andy!” Leslie announced happily. Andy was grinning widely, and Leslie was grinning too. Ann smiled at the sight of them and, after a glance at April, saw that she was smiling too.

“Ooh! Leslie! Do you think Oliver is too young for the swings?”  
Leslie looked at Ann, skeptical. “What do you think?”  
“Maybe a _little_ young,” Ann told Andy. “Give it a few months.”  
Andy sagged, disappointed. “Okay. Can I show him... that tree?”  
Leslie laughed. “Uh, yeah Andy.”  
The two of them walked over to the tree. When they got there, Andy made a deal of lifting up the baby to show him a caterpillar crawling up the bark.  
“That’s a worm!” he announced. “They crawl up things. And birds eat ‘em. And… sometimes I eat ‘em. They’re sort of gross.”  
Leslie scrunched up her face. “Okay, Andy, maybe show him something else.”  
As they were walking around the perimeter, Andy looked at Leslie.

“I heard about Tammy 2. She’s a real bitch.”  
Leslie sighed. “Yeah. I’m sad that it was the one time we had a night off, and she ruined it. And poor Ann was a mess afterwards. Usually _I’m_ the mess.”  
Andy looked at her in surprise. “Leslie! How can you be a mess? You always have a spare shirt in case I spill sauce on mine. And Ann! Ann used to tie my shoelaces for me when we were dating. And this kid…” Andy looked down at Oliver, who was sleeping against his chest. “He’s pretty cool. You and Ann- you’re great parents.”  
“Thank you, Andy,” Leslie said with a smile. “That’s so kind, thank you. I’m just sad that Ann was so shook up. It doesn’t happen often.”  
Andy sighed. “Yeah. I hate it when April is sad, too. Like properly sad.” He laughed. “Usually she’s just pretending.”

***

“You look miserable,” April said, eyeing Ann.  
Ann grimaced at her. “So do you!”  
“It’s because I have to sit next to you.”  
“Nice.”  
“The two fun people have left.” April’s brow furrowed. “Don’t tell Leslie I called her fun.”  
“I won’t,” Ann said with a chuckle. “Your secret is safe with me.”  
April smiled slightly. “Seriously, what’s wrong? If you don’t tell me, I’ll tell Champion to bite your face off.”  
She turned to pat Champion’s head, but the dog seemed perfectly happy lying on the grass.  
“It was just yesterday,” Ann said after a moment. “It was such a good time, and then Tammy ruined it. And I was so scared that she was going to hurt Leslie, or hurt the baby, and I can’t have therapy until Monday, and the _one_ break I’ve had from my new baby since he was _born_ was _ruined_ because Tammy 2 is a fucking _psychopath_!”

Ann finished her tirade with a loud groan, before putting her head in her hands.  
“It’s just been a bad day, that’s all. I’m fine now.”  
She lifted her head from her hands to see April glowering at her.  
“You’re clearly not fine,” April told her.  
Ann winced. “Really?”  
“Yeah. It’s weird. Usually you’re chill.”  
“I don’t know about that, I just get lots of therapy and have communication with my wife and-”  
“Yeah I don’t care,” April interrupted making Ann frown. “I don’t think you have to worry about Tammy 2. If she has something planned, it’s between her and Ron. No offence, but she literally thinks you’re irrelevant. You _and_ your baby. Again, no offence.”  
Ann smiled slightly. “You meant that offence, didn’t you?”  
April shrugged. “Maybe. But yeah. Just try to calm. And I’m sorry your date was ruined. That sucks.”  
Ann smiled widely. “Aw, April! Thank you so much!”  
April rolled her eyes, groaning. “Eww, gross, stop!”

Before Ann could continue making April uncomfortable by being nice to her, Leslie and Andy were back. Leslie helped Andy put the baby in the pram and put the sunshield up, and then they were joining them on the floor.  
April made a big deal of moving away from Ann to sit by Andy, but then Leslie was practically sitting on Ann’s lap with how close she was to her. She wrapped her arm around Ann’s back, before kissing her deeply, making her head spin.  
“You okay?” Leslie asked once she pulled back. Ann smiled at her.  
“Sure am. Is Oliver okay?”  
“Yeah, he’s napping. Andy taught him lots about nature.”  
Andy grinned. “I sure did! He knows what photosynthesis is!”  
“Yes,” Leslie said slowly. “That thing where you put your bare butt on a photocopier and make copies. As Andy wisely said.”  
Andy laughed. “Nature!”

***

Andy and April walked back to Leslie and Ann’s house. April was whispering intently in Andy’s ear the whole way home, which made Ann wonder vaguely if she was hexing him or something.  
When they got back to the house, however, April spun around dramatically and pointed at Leslie and Ann.  
“We want to take your baby for the rest of the day.”  
Leslie’s eyes widened. “Err- _what_?”  
“Yeah!” Andy replied. “You guys didn’t get a proper date night last night, and you deserve it.”  
Ann and Leslie looked at each other, their hearts filling to the brim with love.  
“Guys!” Leslie exclaimed. “That’s so sweet, but are you sure you can look after a baby?”  
“What?” Andy asked. “I didn’t really think we would need to look _after_ the baby when we took him. Like changing him and stuff. Haha- _gross._ ”  
_“What?”_ Ann asked, confused.  
“C’mon!” April begged. “I was half joking at first, but now I sort of want to do it. I promise we won’t let Champion eat him.”

Ann looked at Champion and, for the second time that day, wondered how anybody could think that dog was vicious.  
“Give us a load of diapers and milk and I swear we can look after him,” April added. “And if we get stuck, we can ask Donna. She’s capable.”  
“That’s true…”  
“You guys deserve a break,” Andy told them. “April and me- we’re a _team_. We can do it. And _that_ is the _true meaning_ of photosynthesis.”  
Leslie and Ann looked at each other in confusion, before smiling. “That would be lovely if you’d have him for a few hours,” Ann said.  
“And maybe you’ll decide you want your own children!” Leslie added, making April scrunch up her face.  
“Ew, we’re doing you a favour, don’t _ruin_ it like that!”  
Leslie just laughed.  
“It’ll only be for a few hours. Go for a meal or something. Or stay in your house because the outside is stupid. We’ll bring him back later.”  
Leslie smiled at the two of them. “Thank you guys, seriously.”  
“No problem!” Andy said with a grin. “I can teach him how to skateboard!”  
“Okay- no, no. _Don’t_ do that.”

***

Half an hour later, Andy and April had left. Leslie and Ann felt weird in the house by themselves but, surprisingly, weren’t worried. In the past, Andy and April were the type of people to eat chili out of a frisbee and put their bills in the freezer, but things were different now.  
Besides, Donna was on speed dial if things went wrong. Like if they forgot how to change him or something.

“I’m not worried,” Leslie emphasized to Ann as they sat down to lunch. A microwave lasagne each. “He’s probably going to sleep the whole time. You know his routine.”  
“Sleeping all day, living the dream,” Ann replied with a grin. “I’m not worried, Les. I just think it’s really sweet they would do that for us.”  
“They’re good people!” Leslie replied, putting a forkful of pasta into her mouth. “I always said they would be good babysitters!”  
“I wouldn’t have agreed with you up until recently. But April has definitely matured. She likes to think she hasn’t, but…”  
“It’s my influence,” Leslie said with a grin as she sprayed whipped cream into her coffee.  
Ann smirked. “Well, either way, this is nice. I love our boy, but it’s so good to just have the two of us.”

“What do you want to do?” Leslie asked. “I could light some candles and then dress in a tux and we could pretend we’re in the dining hall of a cruise ship? Ooh! I might have a sailor’s beard somewhere- you could be a mermaid, and I could be the grizzled ship captain!”  
“Why is this sounding less like a dinner and more like a weird sex fantasy?”  
“It can be two things, Ann.”  
“Fair point.”  
The two women looked at each other from across the table, before leaning over to kiss each other.  
“Hey,” Leslie murmured. “Don’t worry, okay? Everything’s okay.”  
Ann sighed. “It is now. Now I’ve had some time to chill, and some time with you. I feel better.”  
Leslie smiled. “I’m so glad. What do you want to do now?”  
Ann raised an eyebrow. "What do _you_ think?"  
Leslie’s tongue was in her mouth within seconds.

***

Three and a half hours later, Leslie untangled herself from Ann when heard the doorbell go. She hastily struggled into a t-shirt and jeans, before hurrying to the door. She combed her hair with her fingers, trying to deal with the mess, before throwing the door open.  
April and Andy were stood there, both of them smiling. Andy held out the baby carrier, and Leslie was pleased to see that the baby was safe and sleeping inside. Whatever _tiny_ doubt she had that the baby would come back with no feet or something was now gone.

“He’s just fell asleep again,” Andy told Leslie.  
“You’re such good babysitters!” Leslie said with a smile. “Thank you!”  
“We had fun!” Andy said. “He slept for a while, but then I showed him my X-Box. He’s a baby, so he wasn’t a very good player 2, so I had to go solo.”  
“Did _you_ have a good time?” April asked, smirking. “What did you do?”  
Leslie shrugged, panting a little. “Not much! Had a meal! It was nice!”  
“Okay… so _why_ are you in Ann’s shirt?”  
Leslie’s eyes widened. “Ahh!”  
Andy laughed loudly, but then April was shushing him because of the baby. “Ha! I didn’t even notice. Glad we could help!”  
“Thanks!” Ann called from the other room. Leslie blushed deeply, before taking the baby carrier inside. When she returned, she shrugged.  
"If you guys want to look after him another time, maybe when I answer the door I'll remember to wear my _own_ clothes."  
April grimaced. “Okay, ew. We’re leaving now. Goodbye forever.”  
“Thank you again guys!” Leslie called from the doorway as April and Andy walked down the path. As soon as she shut the door, they both burst into laughter.

***

Leslie brought Oliver through into the bedroom and put him into his crib. Then she turned to Ann, who was giving her a look.  
“How did _that_ go?”  
“Terribly! I think they noticed that I dressed in a hurry.”  
“Ya think?”  
Leslie got back into the bed, before kissing Ann. “I’m glad you’re feeling better.”  
Ann moaned a little, smiling. “I feel much better. I love you.”  
“I love you too.”  
“Shall we carry on where we left off?”  
_“Definitely.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you!


	88. Unlikely Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unlikely alliance puts Leslie and Ron in a bad position. Ann and April investigate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this one is good I was really tired when I wrote it hahaha

“Are you ready?”  
“You make me _sick_.”  
“Well you make me sick too, at least _I’ve_ got my youth.”  
Tammy One scoffed. “Don’t you play that card. You look like a shrivelled prune.”  
“Well your _boobs_ are shrivelled,” Tammy Two replied smugly.  
“If you speak to me like that again, you’re going to regret it.”  
Tammy Two gulped, clearly opting to stay silent.  
Tammy One looked at her from across the table. “Are you sure that if we get the blonde one involved then Ron will agree to our terms?”

Tammy Two laughed. “I’m telling you, it surprised me when those two didn’t get together. She got with the bland nurse instead.”  
Tammy One leant back and gave her a look. “Is there some way we can get _her_ involved?”  
“Surely. The reason I wanted you to be involved is because you can get dirt on anybody. You’ve got your claws in deep.” She smirked. “And I know you’ve got something dirty up your sleeve.”  
Tammy One moved her mouth left and right, mulling it over. “I once tried to sabotage Knope’s campaign by leaking a lesbian scandal story. Which unfortunately _didn’t_ work.”  
“She’s good at getting people to like her,” Tammy Two said through gritted teeth. “She’s Ron’s total opposite, but she has him eating out of the palm of her hand.” She growled. “That should be _me_!”  
“Just get her down here.”  
“Alright _Grandma_.”  
Tammy One rolled her eyes. “We’re going to ruin Leslie Knope and Ron Swanson.”  
Tammy Two grinned. “Yes, we are.”

***

Leslie was loading shopping into the boot of her car when she had a weird feeling. It almost felt like when you realise that you’re brushing your teeth with the wrong toothbrush. Or when you’re faced with a mortal enemy. Turning around, she was met with Tammy Two.  
“Ahh! Demon! What the hell!”  
“You’re going to come with me, Leslie, you hot piece of ass.”  
“ _Hell_ no! What is _wrong_ with you?!”  
Tammy cackled. “If you don’t come with me, why don’t I take a little visit to your _friend_ Ann? And her _son_?”  
“Do you mean my _wife_ Ann? And _her son_ is _my son_.” Tammy just raised an eyebrow, and Leslie sighed. “Fine. Fine, I’ll come with you. Where are we going?”  
“City Hall.”  
“Wait, what?”  
“What’s the matter Leslie? I thought you _loved_ City Hall!”

Leslie just rolled her eyes, before getting into the car.  
“Can I tell Ann where I’m going?”  
“No.”  
“So… you’re basically kidnapping me?”  
Tammy just laughed again. “You bet your ass I am. Give me your phone.”  
Leslie gingerly got into the car, huffing. “You know, you’re a real pain. I’ve got ice cream in the boot of my car.”  
It was weird. Tammy had had a crazy look in her eye the night in the alley. But now it was just the two of them, she felt less crazy. Maybe Leslie could reason with her.  
“Why are you doing this, Tammy? Is this still about Ron?”  
“Everything is about Ron! You should know that by now!”  
“Why am _I_ always involved in this? We _aren’t_ a couple. I’m happily married, for one thing, but so is he! You need to respect that.”  
“I’ll respect you in _hell_!”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Great. Thanks. I just think that, deep down, you’re capable of doing the right thing. And _not_ kidnapping me from a parking lot.”  
Tammy just laughed.

When they got to City Hall, it was eerie. Leslie had been at City Hall at the weekends, sure. But she was horribly apprehensive. Something told her that this wasn’t just Tammy Two being crazy, and that this was… rather serious.  
Tammy had her phone, for starters, and Ann was expecting her home any minute. And she didn’t want Ann to worry.  
When Tammy forced her into the Parks Department, and she was met with the stony glare of Tammy One, Leslie realised that maybe it was her who needed to be worried.

***

Ann tried Leslie’s cell phone again. Still no answer.  
She was started to get concerned- she was usually quite a chill person, but recent events had made her wary. Just of everything.  
She finished changing Oliver’s diaper, before checking her phone again. Still nothing.  
“Okay buddy,” she said softly to Oliver, who let out a sad noise. “I know.”  
Ann dialled April’s number before hitting call. It only rang for a few seconds.

 _“Why are you calling me?”  
_“Hello April, have you heard from Leslie?”  
_“No, why would I? Has she left you for her true lover- Jeremy Jamm?”  
_“April, be serious. She’s not answering her phone and she’s been gone for ages.”  
There was a short silence. _“I could track her phone if you want.”  
_Ann frowned. “What?”  
_“Sure. Back in the day she set up Find my Friend in case I got lost at Parks events. I’m not kidding.”  
_Ann smiled slightly. “Seriously?”  
_“Sure. Tom and I would sometimes follow her when she went to those singles nights. She used to get really drunk, it was hilarious.”  
_Ann scoffed. “Alright. Can you see where she is?”  
There was a moment of silence. _“She’s at City Hall.”  
_“What? Why?”  
_“Don’t ask me!”  
_“Okay, well, I’d better get down there.”  
_“I’ll come too. It’s not like I have anything better to do.”_

***

“Hello, Leslie.”  
“Tammy One?” Leslie whirled around. “And Tammy Two? Why are you both- Tammy, I thought you were _terrified_ of Tammy!”  
“That’s all in the past,” Tammy Two said with a flick of her wrist.  
“So… her burning your foot with _acid_ , that’s all in the past?”  
Tammy Two flinched. “Of course. We realised that we had a common goal.”  
“Speaking of which,” Tammy One said slowly. “Leslie, I want you to ring Ron and tell him to get down here right away.”  
Leslie gulped. “No, I’d rather not.”  
“Leslie. You’re going to do it _right now_.”  
“O-okay.”  
Tammy Two handed Leslie her phone. “ _Don’t_ think about texting the nurse,” she spat. “I’ll be watching _very_ closely.”  
Leslie rolled her eyes and tapped her foot. “Shut up, okay?”  
It dialled for a minute or so. And then, finally: _“What?”  
_“Ron, it’s Regional Director Leslie Knope.”  
_“I know who you are.”_  
“I’m sorry to bother you, it’s just- well… both your ex-wives are with me in City Hall and they asked me to tell you to come down here. But to be honest, you’re probably better not- okay, wow, Tammy One looks like she wants to murder me. Could you come down here please?”  
_“I will be there imminently.”_

***

“Ron, I’m so glad you’re here!”  
Ron entered the room with a look of disgust on his face. “Since when did you two she-devils become friends?”  
“We’re not friends,” Tammy One said smoothly.  
Leslie stood up from where she was seated and jogged over to Ron, who looked at her.  
“Are you alright?” he asked quickly.  
“I am, but I’m stressed, Ron!”  
“You’re probably wondering why we decided to form an alliance,” Tammy One said.  
“It all started after our liaison in the alley,” Tammy Two cut in. “I realised that-”  
“Be quiet, Tammy,” Tammy One ordered. Tammy Two stopped speaking immediately. “Tammy contacted me with a plan. In the past, I’ve tried to sabotage both your lives.”  
“Like when you leaked those _lies_ about me and my wife?!” Leslie replied, exasperated.  
“Or when you tried to get me sent to federal prison?” Ron added drily.  
Tammy just raised an eyebrow. “I believe that I have enough evidence to prove, absolutely, that the two of you are having an affair with each other.”

Leslie threw up her hands. “What?! That’s absolutely ridiculous!” She turned to Ron. “Why does everyone think we’re a couple?”  
“You’re blonde, for starters,” Ron said monotonously, before whipping his head to stare at Tammy One. _“You_ made sure that blondes were ruined forever.”  
Tammy Two chuckled. “More room for me, hot stuff.”  
Leslie groaned. “Dear god.”  
“We realised that we had to join forces in order to bring you here. Tammy Two had extensive knowledge of how you both operate. I haven’t been privy to your relationship. When Leslie called you today, Ronald, I didn’t expect you to show up… but here you are.”  
Tammy Two rolled her eyes. “They’re sickeningly close. She’s a _whore for him_.”  
“It’s called being _friends_!”  
“And I had the ability to do some digging. I believe, with the right media angle, I could leak something truly _wonderful_ to the press. It’ll do more damage that the scandal with the nurse. It’ll do damage to the both of you.”

***

While this conversation was taking place, Ann and April had met up outside of City Hall and snuck in. Oliver was in one of those cute baby carriers you put on your back- Leslie called them baby backpacks- and seemed to be quite enjoying his tour of City Hall.  
“I don’t understand,” Ann was saying. “Why would she come here without telling me?”  
April stopped in the hallway. “Do you hear that?”  
The two women crept closer to the Parks Department. As they got closer, Ann picked up the distinct nasally voice of Tammy Two.  
_“It all started after our liaison in the alley. I realised that-”_  
_“Be quiet, Tammy.”_

April and Ann looked at each other, alarmed. April peeked around the doorway, before turning and motioning for Ann to step back a few paces. When they got away from the door, the two women looked at each other with wide eyes.  
“Okay, so… Tammy One _and_ Tammy Two are in there. And Leslie and Ron? What the hell?”  
Ann was freaking out, but she was also relieved to see Leslie in one piece.  
“This isn’t good, ” April muttered. “It’s weird. We should keep listening.”  
The two women got back behind the door.

***

“What the hell are you talking about?” Leslie asked tiredly.  
“I’m saying that I have the power to release to the press that you and Ron are having an affair. That you _pretended_ to have a girlfriend in order to secure votes.”  
“What?!” Leslie asked, affronted. “What the _hell_ is wrong with you?”  
Tammy One shrugged, her face as cool and calm as ever. Leslie squinted at the two women, baffled.  
“But I’m not even _in_ City Council anymore!”  
“You used it to become Regional Director, and we can take that away.”  
“Unless…” Tammy Two cut in, looking at Ron with sultry eyes.  
Ron bristled. “What do you want from me, foul women?”  
“We want you to divorce your side piece,” Tammy Two said, with the air of someone who didn’t care whose lives she ruined.  
Ron laughed. “Not a chance.”  
“Well do you want Leslie’s career to go down the drain? Do you not _care_ about your friend? What about Ann’s career?”  
“You finally learned my wife’s name and it was for _this_?” Leslie asked, affronted.  
“What can I say?” Tammy Two said with a flourish. “I’m dedicated.”  
“You’re a wench,” Ron spat, and Tammy just cackled.  
“Hang on,” Leslie said in confusion. “If Ron breaks up with Dianne, which one of you get him?”

There was a pause.  
“What do you mean?” Tammy Two asked.  
“Well, you can’t _both_ have Ron. So… who gets Ron?”  
There was a long silence.  
Ann and April, from the door, looked at each other. Ann saw April had her phone out.  
“What are you doing?” Ann whispered.  
“Recording this!” April hissed. “We might need it!”  
Ann watched as Tammy One looked at Tammy Two, before she let out a loud bark of a laugh.  
“I was hoping that wouldn’t come up until later,” she uttered. “But _I_ plan on keeping Ron.”  
“What?!” Tammy Two screeched. “ _I_ was the one who got you here!”  
“Irrelevant. I just needed you for a few minor details. Now I have what I want, you’re no longer necessary.”  
Tammy Two looked at Leslie, and for once, Leslie saw that she looked on edge- maybe even afraid.

“Tammy,” Leslie said slowly. “You know this is wrong. It’s messed up.”  
“I don’t care,” Tammy One said breezily. “All I care about is getting Ron back, and acquiring his gold.”  
“You’ve meddled one too many times in my life,” Ron cut in. “ _And_ Leslie’s life. It is time for both of you to leave.”  
“Not a chance,” Tammy One hissed.  
Leslie watched as Tammy Two power marched forwards. “I agree. You need to leave.”  
Tammy One laughed again. “What?”  
“Only _I_ get to have Ron. We’ve been married twice. _I_ take precedence over you.”  
Tammy One’s face darkened. “You can’t get in my way.”  
“There’s no acid here, _Tamara,_ ” Tammy Two spat back.  
“I am going to ruin _all_ of your lives,” Tammy One hollered. “I have the power to take everything away from you. I could put you _all_ in federal prison. I could spread so many lies about Leslie Knope that she can’t even get a job at the _library._ I could do it all.”  
“Don’t you dare,” Ron hissed.

Before anything else could happen, April and Ann burst into the room. Leslie looked at them in surprise, but her face lit up at the sight of them. It was safe to say that she was _incredibly_ happy to see her wife. April was dramatically holding her phone up, and Leslie’s son was on Ann’s back like a backpack- possibly the best entrance of all time.  
“Oh hello? Pawnee Sun?” Ann was speaking loudly and theatrically, and everybody was staring at her. “Yes, I think you would be _incredibly_ interested in this audio recording we have here. It has conspiracy _and_ blackmail!”  
“My two favourite things,” April deadpanned, and Leslie watched as Tammy One’s face turned into a hard frown.  
“How dare you?” Tammy One asked. “Besides, you can’t prove anything.”  
“Oh, we recorded the whole conversation,” Ann shot back. “Yeah, you can _suck it_!”  
“Okay,” Ron muttered, letting the wind out of her sails slightly.  
“Sorry.”  
Leslie, however, had such a big grin on her face. She turned to both the Tammys, her face smug.

“You see? My luminous wife Ann and my good friend April, saving the day!”  
“You’ll never be able to prove it,” Tammy One spat.  
“I think they will,” Ron replied calmly. “They have it on tape.”  
“Well, it’s a phone,” Ann said to him. “It’s not exactly on tape.”  
“Regardless, they have it all.” Ron chuckled. “You can both go to hell.”  
Before anyone could speak, Tammy One was turning and storming out of the room, a cold breeze following her. Leslie had to shiver, and she glanced at Ann, who grimaced.  
“Holy crap,” Leslie whispered, before leaping to her feet and spinning to face Tammy Two. “You can leave as well.”  
“It doesn’t matter,” Tammy Two said with a coy smile. “My rich boyfriend has bailed me out before, he can bail me out again.”

Ron glowered at her. “Get out. Now.”  
Tammy Two shrugged. “I guess in the end, _I_ was the committed one. Think on that, Ron.”  
She tossed Leslie her phone and sauntered out, and the four of them looked at each other.  
“Should we go after her?” Ann asked. “They’ve both just walked away.”  
“We’ll tell the cops,” Ron told her. “But, in my experience, both my ex-wives have a habit of getting out of legal situations.”  
“Noted.”  
That was when Oliver decided to make a noise- almost as if he wanted people to remember he was here. In an instant Leslie was running over to them. She kissed Ann, before lifting Oliver out of the backpack and hugging him.  
“You guys! You totally saved the day.”  
“We were worried when you didn’t come home,” Ann told her. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”  
“How did you find us?” Leslie asked.  
“Tracked your phone,” April muttered.

“You did well to record the conversation,” Ron cut in.  
“Yes!” Leslie said loudly. “You are so incredible, I love you so much.”  
“As much as I enjoy hearing that, it was actually _April’s_ idea to record the conversation.”  
Leslie turned to April, a huge grin on her face, and April groaned.  
“Please don’t hug me.”  
“I won’t hug you, but April! That was amazing!” Leslie moved as if she was going to hug her anyway but stopped. “You know what, you should really consider working with me. Regional directing. You’ve got the guts, April. What do you say?”  
April’s eyes widened slightly. “Uh… can I think about it?”  
“Of course!”  
“Great, I’ll think about it in seventy years.”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “April.”  
“Fine! I’ll think about it.” She shuffled slightly. “Thank you.”

“That was rough,” Ron said to Leslie. “Are you okay?”  
“I am,” Leslie replied. “Those two are disgusting, but we got through it together. I _want_ to say we won’t be bothered by them again, but I doubt it.”  
Ron nodded. “Amen.”  
“Well,” Ann said with a smile. “I’m just glad you’re both okay.”  
“And not murdered somewhere,” April said quietly.  
Leslie sighed happily. “Agreed. Can we go home? That ice cream in the car boot has definitely melted.” She kissed Oliver on the forehead. “But there’s definitely some new toys in the car this little guy will take an interest in!”  
Ann laughed. “Of course we can. Let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	89. I Do Trust You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Through no fault of her own, Leslie goes a little crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All about trust and love and smiling babies y'all

“Oliver, when you’re old enough to talk you’d better take my side in the Friday Night Lights debate.”  
Oliver was looking at Leslie with wide eyes. He was on Leslie’s lap, looking up at the two of them as Ann slowly shook a fluffy toy back and forth.  
“Leslie, he can only concentrate on the colourful shape right now. Do _not_ start asking him his opinions on popular culture.”  
“Aww, why not?”  
“Because!”

Leslie turned to look at her. “If his first words aren’t _Leslie is right,_ I’m going to be so annoyed!”  
Ann laughed loudly, and then Leslie was laughing too. After a second, Ann looked down and had to grab Leslie’s wrist.  
“Leslie! Look- look!”  
Oliver was smiling- widely. He had done it a few times before, and every time he did it, Ann felt her heart leap up and dance around inside her chest. She knew Leslie felt it too, because the two women just sat there, in awe of this magnificent child.  
“Your first words can be _Leslie is wrong_ ,” Leslie whispered. “I don’t care anymore; I can’t be angry at that little face.”

Ann chuckled. “His first words had better be _Ann you effervescent hummingbird_ or I want my money back.”  
Leslie laughed, then, and then Oliver was smiling again. Leslie leaned down to kiss his forehead, and then Ann did it too.  
“We’re getting him all excited before bed!” Ann said.  
“If he’s anything like either of us, he’ll sleep all night,” Leslie said with a laugh. Then she yawned. “God, I’m exhausted.”  
“Aw,” Ann said with sympathy. “Me too. Let’s all go to bed.”

***

Leslie felt nauseous. It was so bad it had woken her up, and she looked blearily at the clock. 3:53 in the morning. On a Saturday. However, quite thankfully, one of the nights where Oliver hadn’t woken them up.  
Leslie slipped out of bed as quietly as possible, wincing as she felt the nausea again. She turned to look at Ann, who was still asleep. Then she moved to check on Oliver, who was also sleeping peacefully. In a blur, she stumbled to the bathroom, fumbling with the light switch.  
She fell to her knees and voided everything in her stomach. She flushed the toilet, and then cringed, hoping that it hadn’t woken her wife or son. But when there was no noise from the bedroom, so she sighed a little in relief.

Leslie still felt dreadful, opting to lie back against the bath and catch her breath. She was sweating, just a little, and gasping for breath.  
She wondered if she had eaten anything bad- maybe it was food poisoning. But then surely Ann would be sick too, since they had eaten the same dinner the night before. No, it was probably just her. Which wasn’t such a bad thing. As long as Ann was okay.  
Leslie felt warm, so lay down on the cool floor of the bathroom. The cold of the tiles was soothing, and she found herself drifting off.

***

_“-slie?”_

Leslie heard Ann’s voice cutting through her dreamless sleep.

_“Oh my god, are you okay?”_

Leslie blinked awake, forcing her eyes open. She was met with Ann’s face inches away from her own. Ann’s cold hand was on her forehead, but she pulled back once Leslie looked at her.  
“M’fine,” Leslie groaned. “Just… feel a bit under the weather.”  
“What do you mean? What’s wrong?”  
“Threw up.”  
“Have you been sleeping here all night?” Ann asked her in shock. “I woke up and the bed was empty, and I found you here.”  
Ann hesitantly put her hand under Leslie’s back, easing her slowly up into a seated position.  
“Not all night,” Leslie replied, accepting the help, and leaning into her. She took a deep breath, but Ann had moved her so gently that the dreadful nausea was at bay. “Since four am.”  
Ann let out a breath. “Honey, that was like six hours ago. You should have woken me up.”  
“No way,” Leslie slurred. “You and Oliver need your sleep.”  
Ann felt her forehead. “You’re burning up.”  
“ _You’re_ burning up, _whaaat!_ ” Leslie joked, but Ann just sighed.  
“C’mon, we need to get you to the sofa. Can you stand?”  
“I can certainly try.”

Leslie stood on shaking legs, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt a wave of nausea.  
“One second,” she mumbled, and Ann held her tightly.  
“That’s okay.”  
Leslie automatically leant into Ann, feeling like the room was spinning. Once the feeling passed and she was ready to move, Ann helped her slowly to the couch. Then she disappeared for a second, but when she returned, she had a glass of cool water.  
“Sip it slowly,” Ann instructed.  
“I’m just glad you don’t have whatever I have,” Leslie groaned. “I thought it was food poisoning or something, but then you would have it too.”  
“There _is_ a stomach bug going around,” Ann muttered to herself as she checked over Leslie, making her comfortable. Leslie watched her quietly, before giving her a soft smile.  
“You’re so pretty when you’re looking after me.” That made Ann blush, and Leslie smiled wider. “And I’d kiss you, but I don’t want to give you this.”  
Ann got the cloth, dabbing Leslie’s forehead quietly. After a few minutes, something occurred to Leslie. She started to leap to her feet  
“I should stay away from the baby, right? Or… I don’t know… move out?”  
Ann grabbed her shoulder. “Don’t move.”  
“But-”  
“Just rest for now. I can look after Oliver.”  
As if on cue, they heard crying emanating from their bedroom. The two of them smiled at each other.  
“I’d better see to him. Will you be okay for a while?”  
Leslie nodded. “Of course. I’ll sleep on something that isn’t… the floor.”  
Ann smiled at her, before kissing her forehead and leaving. Leslie lay down on the sofa and tried to sleep.

***

Leslie woke up abruptly when she needed to be sick yet again. Forcing herself to her feet, she staggered to the bathroom and threw up. But there wasn’t actually anything there, she ended up just gagging pitifully into the toilet.  
That was when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Ann gently gathered her hair back.  
“Thanks honey,” Leslie managed, before standing. “Ugh, god. How’s Oliver?”  
“He’s sleeping,” Ann told her. “I fed him, but he was a bit fussy. I think he knew his Mom wasn’t feeling too well. Maybe he wanted to give you a hug.”  
Leslie laughed, before returning to the couch with a groan. Ann sat next to her, perching on the edge of the couch and looking at her with worry.  
“I’m going to make you something to eat.”  
“God, I don’t think I can.”  
“Just have some water then,” Ann told her gently.

Ann watched Leslie as she sipped the water, before taking the glass from her and putting it on the table. Leslie looked at her mournfully.  
“I’m sorry I’ve been sick, you’ve been looking after Oliver all day-”  
“Leslie, don’t apologise. That’s not your fault.”  
“But you’re looking after two of us! Me _and_ him!”  
“And when don’t you do the exact same? If I was sick, you’d be doing this for me. There will be times in our life where I’ll be sick, and you’ll look after me and Oliver. I know it. So please just focus on you. Okay?”  
Leslie nodded slowly. “Okay.” She grimaced, then. “I really don’t feel good.”  
“I know,” Ann soothed. “I know.” She moved to stand up, but then Leslie was looking at her.  
“Don’t leave,” Leslie whispered.  
“I’m just getting you some medicine, okay? I’ll be right back.”

Ann disappeared for a second, and all too quickly Leslie felt herself gagging again. She tried to stand on shaking legs to reach the bathroom, but a wave of dizziness left her on her knees. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get rid of the nausea and deal with the more pressing problem of the fact that her ears were ringing and the room was spinning. And the spinning didn’t help with the nausea.

Before she knew what was going on, she was on the floor. And she felt so bad she couldn’t move.

***

Ann returned minutes later to see Leslie lying on her back on the carpet. Heart racing, she fell to her knees beside Leslie, who was looking up at her mournfully.  
“Hi Ann.”  
“Shit,” Ann said quickly. “Are you okay?”  
Ann lifted Leslie into a seated position and cupped her face. Leslie groaned.  
“I think I fell over. And then I couldn’t move.”  
“I’m sorry,” Ann repeated. “I was only gone for a few minutes.”  
Leslie just groaned. “Probably my fault.”  
“Are you okay? Did you hit your head or anything?”  
“Not sure.”  
Ann checked her for bumps, but she seemed fine. Then she checked her temperature, which was higher, and she felt her heart break at how sad Leslie looked. This was making her utterly miserable.  
“I’ll get a bowl to put by the sofa,” Ann said. “I don’t think you should be walking around.”  
Leslie snorted in a way that said _no shit_ , and Ann smiled slightly.  
“Do you think you can get back on the sofa if I help?”  
Leslie nodded, and quickly she was back on it. Ann gave her the water to sip again, and then Leslie took the medicine. Ann watched her carefully.  
“I need to get that bowl. Don’t move, okay?”

Leslie knew that was Ann’s code for _don’t fall over and freak me out again so help me god.  
_Leslie nodded. “You got it, boss.”  
When Ann got back, Leslie could tell she was mulling something over.  
“I really think you need to eat something, even if it’s just some dry toast. It’s been hours, you’ve not eaten since like 8pm last night.”  
“M’kay,” Leslie mumbled. “I’ll try.”  
Ann nodded, squeezing her hand. The two of them sat there for a minute, but when Ann moved to stand up, Leslie whimpered.  
“Don’t leave,” Leslie said, leaning into Ann. Ann frowned.  
“Leslie, I need to. You need food.”  
“No thanks.”  
“Les, we agreed you needed to eat something.”  
Leslie squinted at her. “Did we?”  
Ann felt her forehead again. “Leslie?”  
Leslie’s eyes were glassy and unfocused. This wasn’t good.  
Ann knelt down to look at her. “Don’t move, okay? I’m getting you some toast and something cold for your head. That medicine will kick in soon.”  
She was speaking slowly and carefully, and Leslie was nodding at her, but who knows if she was taking any of the information in.

When Ann returned with the toast, Leslie accepted the plate, staring at the toast like it was evil.  
“This will make me barf,” Leslie announced, and Ann was glad that she was acknowledging the existence of the toast at least.  
“If it does, we can try again later.”  
“I don’t want to be sick again Ann,” Leslie whispered.  
Ann sighed tiredly. It was slight, but she heard it, and Leslie immediately felt bad. Before Ann could say anything, she put the toast to her mouth and took a bite. It tasted… well, pretty bland, but that was probably for the best. The thought of eating anything flavorsome made her want to be sick.  
She could feel Ann’s eyes watching her, so she eventually swallowed and tried to smile at her. Ann smiled back, and Leslie felt warm inside.  
“Get some sleep, yeah?” Ann whispered.  
“But Oliver-” Leslie tried again, and Ann just shook her head.  
“It’s fine. Everything is fine.”

***

Leslie woke up. She was on the sofa, under a blanket, but she felt like she was in hell. Or maybe Eagleton, depending on your point of view. Eagleton pre-merger, mind. Now it was part of Pawnee, the place wasn’t so bad.  
Her dreams had been vivid. Maybe it was because she felt so ill, but they were filled with haunting images. Ann, looking sickly and throwing up. Oliver wasn’t safe.  
Why did her brain always do this to her? Her anxieties were getting the best of her, and she didn’t know how to deal with them.  
In her eyes, if she didn’t leave soon, then she was putting her son at risk. He was so young, what if something bad happened to him? More than anything, what if Leslie gave Ann the illness, and nobody could look after Oliver? But what if she had given Ann the sickness already?

Her thoughts were spiraling as she struggled to her feet. She needed to get out of the house. It didn’t matter that her vision was fuzzy, and her brain was melted, or even that she wanted to throw up again- that was all the more reason to get out of here and keep her family safe.

***

She was halfway down the path when Ann was hot at her heels, grabbing her arm.  
“Leslie, what the hell?! Where are you going?”  
Leslie turned around, and Ann could see she looked bad. And that only made her more frustrated, why the _fuck_ was she going walking outside?  
“I need to get away,” Leslie told her. “Ann, it’s not safe for me to be in the house.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“I’m going to infect you- or the baby- or both of you-”  
“I told you everything was fine,” Ann replied. “You’re risking yourself, what are you thinking?!”  
“I’m thinking that _one_ , your face is all swirly and I can’t see the colour green. But more importantly, _two_ I am thinking that I _need to leave_.”  
“Don’t be ridiculous! Leslie, why can’t you just _trust_ me?!”

Leslie held up her hand, and Ann was about to get really pissed off, but then she turned to throw up in the bushes. Ann winced, quickly moving over to hold her steady. She herself had thrown up in those bushes after their bachelorette party, but this time it was a lot less whimsical and a lot scarier.  
When Leslie was done, she sagged into her.  
“I’m sorry,” Ann told her instantly. “We need to get you inside, and I’m shouting-”  
“I do trust you,” Leslie said once she finished, coughing slightly. “Of course I trust you. I just- I can’t- I can’t lose you, I can’t be the reason that something happens to you.”  
“Nothing is happening to me,” Ann replied quietly. “Please, believe me.”  
Leslie squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. Ann took that as her cue to get her inside.

***

“I had a dream,” Leslie explained once they were back inside and she had calmed down a little “And you got sick. And nobody was here for Oliver. I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”  
Before Ann could do anything, Leslie was in tears.  
“Oh, honey,” Ann tried.  
“I feel really bad, and I want to sleep, but I- I can’t stop thinking about you and the baby.”  
Ann felt Leslie’s forehead. If she got much warmer than this, she would need to go to the hospital.  
“Look, Leslie. You’re sick, so I know you wouldn’t do something that stupid when you weren’t sick. But you need to think about yourself for once, okay? Please.”  
“But-”  
“ _Please._ If I hadn’t caught you sooner, you could have collapsed somewhere or something. Let me look after you.”  
Leslie sniffed. “I- I can’t. I need to put you first.”  
Those words- _put you first._ She had said the same thing after the incident with the car and the ice.  
“Yes you can,” Ann soothed. “Lie against me.”  
Leslie struggled to lie down, trying to ignore the swirling of her stomach and whatever the hell was happening to the rest of her body.  
“You’ll get sick,” Leslie murmured, trying to stand up again, but it was a weak attempt.  
“I’ll be fine,” Ann promised, keeping Leslie in place. “Just get some sleep.”  
Obviously, she couldn’t technically promise that, but right now she was more concerned about the fact that Leslie kept putting herself in danger.  
“I do trust you,” Leslie repeated, and Ann felt a pang of guilt.  
“I know.”

After a few minutes, Leslie’s breathing evened out, indicating that she was asleep, and Ann sighed a little in relief. She continued stroking her hair, trying not to worry about everything that had just occurred.  
Would Leslie ever put herself first? It had been a big topic of conversation over their time in therapy, and while Leslie had gotten better in many respects, sometimes things happened that made her spiral again, and they were right back to the start. Luckily, these days, events like that were few and far between. The worst part, however, was how much Leslie beat herself up when she had those lapses of judgement. There had also been times when she had been panicking or upset for a genuinely good reason, but she would still punish herself.  
This time round, Ann didn’t know how she was going to react. She felt guilt, clearly, but at the same time her foggy brain had told her it was necessary. Leslie genuinely believed she needed to leave in order to protect her and the baby. And that broke Ann’s heart.

Oliver started crying, then, and Ann hastily untangled herself from her wife to go and see to him. He was probably hungry, or maybe just eager for company. Leslie stayed asleep, so Ann hurried into the bedroom.  
“Aw, buddy,” Ann said with a yawn. “You okay?”  
Oliver swiftly calmed down once she gave him a cuddle, and that was when she pulled out a soft toy for him to look at. Soon he was looking at it with bright eyes.  
“You’re handsome as hell, you know that?” Ann murmured. “And you’re really great at cheering me up when your Mom makes me sad.” Ann paused. “But it isn’t her fault- don’t tell her I said that. I’m sad and it isn’t her fault.”  
Oliver went back to concentrating on Ann’s boob, and she figured that was higher up on the priorities list for him right now.  
  
Once Oliver was fed and seen to, Ann walked back into the living room and sat down heavily next to Leslie, feeling the exhaustion. It had been a long and rather stressful day, and she believed a nap was in order.  
She fell asleep as soon as she lay down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	90. We Look After Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And today was just one of those things. It was more a marriage today than any other day. And Ann loved every second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finished my college course now, so maybe I'll be able to update more! Until I find a job, but that doesn't feel likely right this second lol

Leslie woke up and immediately she felt the comforting presence of her wife next to her. At first, she thought that they were in bed, but then she realised that she was pressed up against the back of the sofa, and that Ann was just lying next to her.   
After a quick inspection, she saw that Ann was asleep. Her soft breathing was a gentle comfort to Leslie, and she sat there for a second waiting for her brain to kick in.   
Ann had obviously decided to take a nap, and Leslie couldn’t blame her. She felt shame radiating from her body- she couldn’t fully remember why, but she felt it, nonetheless. She remembered trying to leave the house- Ann had been annoyed.

No, not annoyed. She had been worried.

“Crap on a cracker,” Leslie whispered to herself. “I’m so sorry, Ann.”  
Leslie still felt like garbage, but she really needed to pee, so she slowly extracted herself from the sofa, walking slowly. She wasn’t going to fall over again, and she wasn’t going to make any noise.   
Once she finished in the bathroom, she went in to check Oliver. It was early evening now- or maybe it wasn’t- time was nothing- and the light filtering into the bedroom, illuminating her baby boy, made her fill up with emotion.

Oliver was fast asleep. Leslie saw that there were toys on the bed- Ann had obviously played with him before he went back down, and Leslie felt that pang in her chest.   
It wasn’t her fault she had missed it, but she _hated_ missing things. It felt like when she had first become Regional Director- she missed clearing dead racoons out of rivers or planting a community garden. Missing out was one of the worst feelings and missing out on any time with her son just made her miserable.   
When she went back to work, which would be very soon, she would miss Oliver. And Ann.   
They had agreed at some point- Leslie couldn’t remember when, not while her brain was melting- that Leslie would go back to work earlier than Ann, and Ann would stay at home with Oliver longer. Until they found a nanny or something permanent. Leslie had worried that Ann would feel put out by that decision, but Ann was more than happy to do it. Leslie had then gone on a ten-minute rant about why nurses were vital, and Ann had simply given her a kiss and told her she loved her.   
They had had a lot of time together recently, which was great. Having a son was great. Tiring, but great. She was so tired.

Leslie suddenly felt like she was going to gag, so she was very quickly leaving Oliver’s room and heading to the bathroom.   
Another thing that made her miserable- throwing up.   
When Ann had been pregnant, Leslie had felt so sorry for her, the amount of time she spent hunched over the toilet bowl. Leslie had only been doing it for one day- Ann’s morning sickness had gone on for months.   
No- she was allowed to feel sorry for herself when she was sick. Dr Nygard always reminded her that she had to put herself first sometimes.  
Well, everyone reminded her. Ann especially. And she would put herself first- once she knew that Ann and Oliver were taken care of, then she was next on the list.

Third down wasn’t so bad, right?

***

Leslie shuffled blearily back to the sofa and sat down, putting her head in her hands. She felt sweaty and gross. And dizzy. And just crap.   
She took a sip of water before leaning back against the sofa. That was when she felt Ann stir beside her, and she looked up at Leslie.  
“Hey honey,” she murmured. “How are you?”  
“Do you want the truth, or do you want the fun version?” Leslie asked groggily.  
Ann frowned, before sitting up to look at her. “Fun version?”  
“Well, I’m really dizzy, but I want to try and spin it in a fun way.” Ann stared at Leslie blankly as she frowned. “Never mind, I got nothing.”  
“You’re really weird,” Ann muttered, before shuffling closer and feeling Leslie’s forehead. “Honey, you’re still warm. Have you had some water?”  
Leslie nodded. “Yeah. Thanks.”

The two sat there in silence.  
“Ann, I’m sorry,” Leslie said softly.   
“Don’t be sorry,” Ann replied after a second. “Really.”  
“No, I need to be. I know where I went wrong,” Leslie told her. “I’m not as bad now. If I wasn’t sick, I wouldn’t have done any of that. I think my brain melted.”  
“I know,” Ann replied. “Slightly concerning that when you get sick you do reckless things. Like last time, staying in work when you had a fever.”  
Leslie chuckled. “That was dumb. I promise I’m not going to get that hysterical. It’s sort of embarrassing, really.”  
“You want embarrassing? I _forgot your name_ while I was in labour,” Ann reminded her with a big grin. Leslie had to grin back.  
“That’s _labour_ , Ann! This is- a _mild cold_ at best.”  
Ann raised an eyebrow. “If I wasn’t a nurse, I’d probably have taken you to hospital by now. It might still happen. So, just- don’t play it down, okay?”  
“Sorry.”

Leslie sat back, groaning.   
“Where did you go?” Ann asked gently, moving to cup Leslie’s face. “You were asleep next to me when I went to have a nap.”  
“I needed the bathroom. Checked Oliver. He’s okay.” Leslie looked at her. “How was your nap?”  
Ann thought about sleeping pressed against her wife, huddled together on a sofa. “It was great.”  
“Good. Oliver was napping too.”  
Ann was secretly glad that Leslie was no longer talking about running away from him. She stood slowly, going to get a cool rag for Leslie’s head, and when she came back, she was smiling.   
“You know,” Ann said softly. “You’re right when you said you’re different. I wouldn’t have used the word bad, but I know that you’ve gotten better with that stuff.”  
Leslie looked at her. “What do you mean?”  
“I think you’re more confident. And even when you’re not, you find solutions. Or you talk to me.”  
“But that time at the party-”  
“That was a party, Leslie. Different situation. Remember in the alley? Tammy Two was being really scary, but you didn’t let her scare you. _I_ was terrified.”  
Leslie’s face scrunched slightly in consideration. “I guess you’re right. When she took me in the car I was calm. She doesn’t really scare me anymore.” Leslie paused. “Tammy One does, though.”  
“Oh, same. They both scare me,” Ann said with a laugh.

“You’ve done so well too,” Leslie told her, moving to take her hand. “With all the… the PTSD and stuff. And self-worth, and… well, everything. You’re so strong and beautiful, Ann Perkins. You’re like a Greek goddess.”  
Ann smiled at her. “I would ask if that’s the fever talking, but that’s just you.”  
“Oh, definitely.”  
Ann moved to give Leslie a quick kiss. She watched how Leslie hesitated before kissing her, so when they pulled back, she gave her a comforting smile.  
“I think if I was going to get sick, I would have by now.”  
“That’s… true...”  
The two sat there for a while. Ann was watching Leslie, who was pouting irritably. Ann chuckled.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Nothing, it’s just… I _hate_ being sick. I’m guessing you’ll say no if I ask to do some work? In prep for me going back? Okay, I’m seeing your expression and I am taking that as a yes.”  
“Are you hungry?” Ann asked simply, changing the subject.   
“No,” Leslie replied. “But feel free to have some dinner.”  
Ann frowned. “Leslie, all you’ve had is some toast.”  
“And that was a delicious meal, Ann.”  
“Still. I’ll make you something, and if you can’t eat it, then… I don’t know. We’ll freeze it.”

Ann went to stand, but then Leslie was tugging her sleeve gently.   
“Hang on, Ann.”  
Ann stood there, looking at Leslie in confusion.   
“I know we agreed that I would go back to work, and you would stay off with Oliver for a few more weeks, until we found something more permanent.” Leslie swallowed, wincing. “I think nurses are just as valuable as Regional Directors…” She paused again. “But put me in front of the judge…I’ll miss Oliver. But it’ll be fine. Everything is great.”   
Ann sat down on the sofa. “Leslie?”  
“I think we should talk when the room goes the right way up again,” Leslie finished. “I just have feelings about things.”  
Ann smiled sadly. “You’re going to miss Oliver. I’m going to miss you. But you’ll be kicking ass in work. I know you’ve missed it. It’s okay to miss work when you’re here, and miss us when you’re in work. When I’m back in work, I’ll feel the same.”  
“You don’t mind staying off for longer? Your work is more important than mine.”  
“We both have important jobs,” Ann reminded her.   
Leslie swallowed again, looking at Ann intently. Ann could tell Leslie was trying really hard to concentrate, so she chuckled. “Yeah. We’ll talk about this later. Okay?”  
“Okay.”  
Ann stood up to make something to eat, and Leslie flopped back down on the sofa.

***

Leslie’s phone went off after half an hour. Ann was sat on the couch, waiting for the food in the oven, and with Leslie next to her, snoring softly. Oliver was on Ann’s knee, quite content to just be chilling with his Moms.   
She reached over and took Leslie’s phone, wanting to see who it was. It could be important, and she knew Leslie wouldn’t mind.   
It was from Leslie’s mother. She was- quite out of the blue- asking if she could come and see Oliver.

**Hi Marlene, it’s Ann. Leslie’s not well today, so now might not be a good time. (Sent: 18:02)**

She didn’t have to wait long for a response.

**You must be swept off your feet! I know when Leslie gets sick she can be quite a handful. Do you want me to take Oliver for the night? He’s not had a night with his Grandma yet! (Sent: 18:02)**

Ann sighed a little. It wasn’t very nice of Leslie’s mom to call her a handful in a text to Leslie’s phone- which Leslie may well see in the future. But that was Marlene’s go to move.  
She looked down at Oliver. He was being chill now, but maybe it would be nice for him to spend some time with Marlene. She would have to speak to Leslie, though. If Leslie woke up and Oliver was gone, Ann didn’t know how she would react.   
Ann leaned over and put her hand in Leslie’s hair, stroking it softly, and it woke her up.

“You okay Ann?” Leslie asked blearily.   
“I’m fine,” Ann replied, an involuntary smile filling her face. “Are you?”  
“Mm,” Leslie moaned. “Not great.”  
“Okay,” Ann whispered. “Your Mom is asking to take Oliver for the night.” She paused, not sure how to play it. “It might be nice for him to spend time with her. He’s not had a sleepover with his Grandma yet.”  
Leslie looked at Oliver, giving him a tired smile. “Do you want to spend time with your Grandma?”  
Oliver looked at Leslie. Leslie could see he was deliberating the issue. After a second, he waved his little arms around, and Leslie knew that meant yes.   
“I think he does,” Leslie told Ann. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”  
“He’s fine,” Ann promised. “And I can give your Mom stuff to take.” She paused. “It might be nice to have just us tonight.”  
“I just wish it was under better circumstances.”  
“Don’t do that,” Ann soothed.

Leslie sat up properly, before leaning on Ann’s shoulder. Ann watched her as she watched Oliver, and Ann could tell she was feeling pretty torn up.   
“Hey,” Leslie whispered to Oliver. “A bit of advice. If my Mom tells you the story about the lifeguard- do _not_ track him down and try to get them together. Learned that the hard way.”  
Ann chuckled. “She’s right, Oliver. And _do not_ ask her what her nickname is. It’s too rude for your little ears.”  
Leslie chuckled. “Ron came up with that one, I think. In 1994.”  
“That doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.”

***

Within the hour, Marlene had arrived in a flurry of activity, ready to take Oliver home for the night. Leslie was lying on the sofa, looking up at her Mother and talking directly to her in what Ann assumed was her trying to be stern and demanding.  
“Don’t forget he likes to eat.”   
“Alright…”  
“And sleep.”  
Marlene glanced at Ann, who shrugged. “I won’t forget.”  
“And he goes by the name Oliver.”  
“Alright dear, you just feel better.” Marlene took the baby carrier and gave Ann a strange glance. Ann shrugged again, before leading her to the door.  
“Bye Oliver! I love you!” Leslie called from the sofa.   
“Do you have everything?” Ann asked.   
Marlene nodded. “We’ll be fine.”  
Ann smiled. “I know.”  
“I don’t have to say look after her- I know you will.”  
Ann smiled wider. “I will.”

Ann shut the door slowly, and walked back to the sofa.   
Leslie looked at her. “Are you okay?”  
“I am. It’s weird- it’s our first night without him, like… our first proper night.”  
“I’m sorry I’m not up for anything.”  
“Stop apologizing,” Ann scolded gently. “It’s kind of good she came, really. I love that kid more than anything, but I want to focus on you right now.”   
“Shouldn’t be like that.”  
“Well it is,” Ann replied. “You’re my wife. You’d drop anything for me- you _have_ dropped things for me, many times.”  
“I just feel bad for Oliver,” Leslie told Ann slowly. “First I was running away from him, and now he’s staying with my Mom…”  
“Okay, the first thing was a little stressful, but we solved it. The second thing is fun! He’s going to spend loads of nights with his various grandparents- this is a big step for him. So, let’s just enjoy the fact that he’s trying something new. The kid is barely four months old and he’s spoilt rotten by everybody.”  
Leslie laughed. “Yeah, he is. If my Dad was still alive, Oliver would be getting so many chocolate eclairs he wouldn’t be able to move.”  
“Speaking of chocolate eclairs, do you think you can eat anything?”  
“I’ll certainly try.”

***

The women decided to eat their dinner on the couch, balancing the meals on their laps. Ann knew Leslie probably wouldn’t want to sit at the kitchen table, and she was quite happy to sit on the couch beside her. She watched Leslie as she took one mouthful of the meal, slowly, and when that went well, she tried another.   
“This is really nice,” she told Ann, who smiled at her. “I can’t believe it.”  
“What can’t you believe? That I'm good at cooking?”  
“No, not that, Ann, you talented temptress. I don’t know… I never thought I would get with someone as nice as you are. And I know people think nice isn’t a compliment- I could give you a compliment, if you want-”  
“You’ve given me _many_ compliments, Leslie.”  
“Okay. Well, it’s just… I feel like I can be myself with you, obviously. But I never thought I’d be this vulnerable. I mean, you saw me puking my guts out before.”  
Ann grimaced, and Leslie winced. “Sorry, we’re eating, I know. It’s just… I don’t know. Nobody ever took care of me before like you do.”  
“Who took care of you before me?” Ann asked softly.   
“I took care of myself. With… varying results.”  
Ann frowned. “That’s not great.”  
“But it’s okay, Ann! You look after me! I look after you!”  
“We look after each other.”

The two smiled at each other, and then carried on eating in silence. After a while, Ann noticed that Leslie was more pushing the food around her plate than eating it.  
“Are you done?” Ann asked gently.   
“It was lovely, I just- I can’t-”  
“That’s okay,” Ann replied.   
Leslie sighed. Suddenly, she was standing up, and speaking with a frenetic energy. “This is not a reflection of your cooking. I think I need to go and puke my guts out. Again, not a reflecting of your cooking.”  
Ann jumped up. “Okay-”  
Leslie grimaced. “Oh god. Yep. I can feel it.”  
Leslie sprinted to the bathroom, and Ann hurried after her. She was there for her during it all, and when she was finished, Ann watched her with concern.  
“I’m so sorry,” Leslie was saying, so Ann tried to chuckle.  
“Honey, I’m a nurse. I have seen _way_ worse than this.”  
Leslie looked up at her, trying to laugh. “Like the time you pulled something out of someone’s butt?”  
Ann made a face. “I really wish you wouldn’t bring that up.”

Leslie let out a breathy laugh, before sitting back. She leant against the bathtub, and Ann sat beside her, looking at her. After a second, Leslie moved to lean against Ann’s shoulder, and Ann rested her chin on Leslie’s head.  
"Are you dizzy?"  
"A little."  
"Okay, we can sit here."  
Leslie sat there for a while. She was thinking really hard. About things.  
“Ann, I…” Leslie was _really_ trying not to be sick.   
“What is it?”  
“I just love you. I know I can be a lot to handle, and I know I’m a little crazy.”  
Ann hesitated. “No…”  
“I _am_ , Ann. Even talking about who should go back to work first I went on a rant about how amazing both our jobs are, and the cost analysis… I even had a PowerPoint presentation as backup just in case.”   
Ann had to smile. “Wow.”  
“And I know I do things wrong, a _lot_. But I do know I’m worthy of love. Sometimes, anyway. And I’m just glad it was love given to me... by you.”  
Ann felt her heart fill up with love. Which happened at least once a day.  
“I’m glad I’m here with you,” Ann told her softly. “I _like_ looking after you, but I also like how you look after me. You changed my life. For the better. I love you so much, Leslie.”  
“Even when I’m throwing up?”  
“Even then.”  
Leslie smirked. “Nice.”

***

They sat there for a little longer, and when Leslie decided she could move, she stood slowly. Ann looped her arm around Leslie’s back, relishing the way Leslie leant into her. She really appreciated Leslie’s softer side- she was soft with everyone, but especially with Ann. Leslie knew she could do anything, be anything, in front of her. It felt like a privilege.   
Ann loved the way she snuggled against her, or the way Leslie looked at her when she thought she couldn’t see her… she just cherished it.   
Sure, she had just held her hair back as she puked, but this was a _marriage_. Leslie had had to deal with that and worse while Ann was pregnant, and the two of them had been through everything together. And today was just one of those things. It was more a marriage today than any other day. And Ann loved every second.

They got back to the couch. Ann felt Leslie's forehead with a practiced hand, and Leslie grinned.  
"You're hot."  
"You're less hot."  
Leslie pouted. "Wait, what?"  
“No, I mean- your _temperature is lower_ ,” Ann told her. “You just need to take it easy.”  
The two of them looked at each other, before bursting out laughing.  
“No, but I’m serious. Can you do that?”  
Leslie sighed. “Sure. Once I’m back in work, I won’t have any downtime. Being here with you, right now… it’s really nice.” She paused. “I want to stress that I would rather not feel like garbage.”  
“I know.”  
“But it’s nice.”  
Leslie leaned into Ann, and Ann found the blanket on the sofa and put it over the two of them.   
“Do you want me to put a film on for you to fall asleep in front of?”  
Leslie pretended to scoff. “Ann Perkins! I cannot believe this attitude. But yes. Please.”  
Ann laughed. “Alright. What do you want to watch?”  
Leslie looked at her, smiling. “Anything. You choose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading :)


	91. Needy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie has her first day back in work. When she gets home, Ann wants some attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay this one MASSIVELY got away from me, it's *definitely* more NSFW than it ever has been before, so that's a warning from me hahaha

Leslie took a deep breath. It was half seven in the morning, and she was soon going to leave the house and return to work for the first time in a while.  
Ann was awake- sort of- but Oliver had kept them up for a lot of the night, so Leslie hadn’t woken her up properly. Ann stirred once when Leslie was getting dressed.  
“You feeling okay about today?” she mumbled.  
Leslie sighed happily. “I am. I’ll text you every hour to keep you updated.”  
Ann laughed, burrowing back into the pillows. “Can’t wait.”  
Leslie smiled, before turning to Oliver. He was asleep.  
“Hey,” she whispered. “I’ll be gone when you wake up. But it’s not because I don’t love you. I love you a lot. So…” she paused, taking a deep breath. “I’ll see you when I get home.”  
Leslie looked at him, in the crib. He was getting pretty big, now. Soon he would need a bigger bed.  
Thinking about it, soon he would need his own room.

No, focus up Leslie. It was time for work.

***

It was a big day. Not only was Leslie back, after months of being away, but April was also starting work with her.  
She met April outside City Hall. April looked nervous but shot her with a signature glare when she arrived.  
“Hello April!” Leslie called cheerily.  
“Gross, why are you talking to me? But also… hi.” April smiled slightly, and Leslie’s grin got wider.  
“Are you excited?”  
“No.”  
“Good- wait, what?”  
“I only did this so I could have a party where I could make Ron wear a leather jacket.”  
“He _did_ wear the hell out of that jacket.”

***

“So, April, you don’t have to be nervous. I have my entire faith in you.”  
“I know.”  
“And I knew you would be perfect for the job, and absolutely incredible-”  
“Oh my god, _Mom_! I know!”  
Leslie laughed, before turning and looking out at the office. There were people bustling all over the place- change was happening. And she was a part of it.  
Her phone went off. It was a picture of Oliver, in is new outfit that her Mother had bought him when she looked after him. It was, of course, adorable, and Leslie felt that pang in her chest.  
God, she missed them.

**Oh also, have a great day! I love you! (Sent: 8:03)**

Leslie smiled easily.

**Thank you! I love you too. Have a wonderful day, my stunning tawny owl. And… owlet. (Sent 8:03)**

“Hey, Leslie, can you sign off on these?” asked one of her workers- a nice man called Tim.  
Leslie looked at him. “Of course, hand them here. Then we need to schedule that meeting for tomorrow- it’s urgent.”  
“You got it, boss.”  
Leslie grinned. Boss- that was cool. It was good to be back.

***

Leslie was walking down the corridor, phone to her ear, looking through some documents, when she ran into Ron Swanson. He had clearly just been to get his lunch, going off the giant Paunch Burger bag and extra-large soda.  
“Regional Director,” Ron said with a nod.  
Leslie hung up the phone, giving him a smile. “Ron! Wow, I’ve not seen you in a while.”  
“Really?” Ron asked. “I don’t tend to notice people’s presences in relation to me.”  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Well, it’s good to see you. It’s April’s first day, can you believe it?”  
“I can,” Ron replied.  
“She’s crushing it,” Leslie said with a wide grin.  
Ron smiled slightly. “I’m sure she is.”  
Leslie felt awkward. Why was it awkward?  
“You’ll have to come visit us sometime.”  
Ron hesitated. “Yes. That would be nice.”  
Leslie looked at him. “Are you okay?”  
“Of course. I must admit it will be strange without April in the office. But she is going to do great things.”  
“She sure is.”  
“Accepting change is difficult, but… sometimes it is needed.”  
Leslie smiled sadly. “Well, you should come over sometime. Even just to our house. I would say a sleepover, but I don’t think our house could accommodate your family. You should build us an extra floor!”  
“As great a building feat that would be…”  
Leslie laughed. “No, you’re probably right. Anyway, I’d better run. See you around, Ron! Love you!”  
Ron chuckled. “Goodbye, Leslie.”

***  
The day went by quickly and, soon enough, Leslie was walking through her front door. She was ten minutes late- those ten minutes were spent congratulating April on a job well done.  
But now she was home, and she was so excited to kiss her wife and hold her baby.  
Ann was there at the door, quickly kissing Leslie as soon as she appeared, and then passing her Oliver. Ann's kiss had seemed a little more desperate than usual, and Leslie enjoyed that passion. As for her son- Oliver had a big smile, and Leslie couldn’t help but tear up at the sight of him.  
“Welcome home, Leslie.”  
“It’s great to be back.”

“Do you think April likes that she’s moved up in the world?” Ann asked from the sofa.  
“I think so! She acts like she doesn’t, but I think she does.”  
Ann looked up, smiling slightly. Leslie had been writing on a whiteboard- something Ann knew would become clear to her sooner or later. Maybe when she got out of her crazy mode, they could do other activities. But not yet.  
Leslie held Oliver in one arm, turning to pace to the other side of the room, looking at Ann with bright eyes.  
“ _Speaking_ of moving…”  
Ann looked up from the magazine she was flicking through, trying to hide her huge smile. Having Leslie’s energy in the house was always a delight. “Hm?”  
“I was thinking that maybe we should move to a new house. And, when I say thinking, I mean I’ve made a flow diagram.”  
Leslie turned and, using her free hand, pulled over the huge board, which was covered in writing from top to bottom. If it was a flow chart, then the flow was a mess. And incredibly chaotic.

“I’m a bit like Ron- I hate change. But at the same time, one day soon,” Leslie hoisted Oliver a little higher on her hip. “ _This_ little guy is going to need his own room. He needs a door he can angrily slam when we tell him he can’t go to a concert.”  
Ann quirked an eyebrow, amused.  
“And then I’ll say _Oliver Ronald Christopher Perkins-Knope_ , you are only _fourteen_ years of age! Wait, who is taking you? Who do you even know that can drive you to Bloomington? Are they on drugs? Wait- are you doing… _drugs_?”  
“Are you done?” Ann asked, amused, and Leslie huffed a little.  
“Wow. That hypothetical situation actually got me riled up for a second.”  
Ann chuckled, before standing up to kiss her. “I know.”  
“Thank you.”

The two of them stood, looking at the detailed, scruffy brain mess slapped onto a whiteboard.  
“Wow, that is a _detailed_ flow diagram.”  
“It’s up to you, Ann. But we only have one bedroom, and-”  
“- _Please_ don’t accuse our child of taking drugs again.”  
“Of course not. It’s just- yeah. What do you think?”  
Ann didn’t say anything for a second, and Leslie was nervous. Why was she nervous?  
“I think you’re right. I mean, this house is kind of small. And as much as I like it… we definitely need to size up.”  
Leslie sighed softly, relieved. “Okay.”  
Ann kissed her, cupping her cheek. “Were you stressed?”  
“No! Just- I don’t know. Apprehensive. A lot of change is happening, and I know this house means a lot to you. Hell, it means a lot to me too.”  
“I know it does. But you’re right. It had to happen sooner or later.”  
“Okay, so… should we start looking?”  
"Right now?"  
"If you want!"  
Ann smiled. “Yeah. Let’s start looking for a bigger house.”

***

Leslie had a lot of work to do. Between changing Oliver, playing with Oliver, cooking dinner with Ann, looking for houses with Ann, then putting Oliver to bed… she had a lot to do.  
It was early days, but there were some really nice houses in Pawnee that were designed for a bigger family. And her family was technically getting bigger. Oliver had grown a ton over the past few months.  
It got to about nine o’clock, and Leslie was seated on the sofa, going over some documents.  
Ann was sat at the other end of the sofa, and after a few minutes, she poked her with her foot.  
“What are you up to?” Ann asked.  
“I’m just looking at the monthly report,” Leslie replied. “It’s very detailed. I need to get back in the zone of reports like this, but it’s exciting!”  
Ann hummed. “That’s cool.”

There was a longer pause.

“I missed you today,” Ann carried on. Leslie looked up to smile at her.  
“I missed you too. It felt strange not being here.”  
“I missed you particularly when I woke up in the morning. If you know what I mean.”  
Leslie frowned at her. “Not really, no.”  
Ann sighed, before raising her eyebrows. “I sort of wish you had been there. I was… in a particular mood. If you... catch my drift.”  
Leslie stared at her blankly, before it finally dawned on her what her wife meant. “Oh! Oh… _Ohh._ ”  
Ann nodded. “Yep.”  
“Sorry, Ann.”  
“No, it’s fine. I sorted myself out.”

Leslie couldn’t help but feel the hairs on the back of her neck tingle slightly.  
She cleared her throat. “Well. That’s… very good. Yes. Good.”  
Leslie went back to reading over her documents, acutely aware of the blush on her cheeks. She had a _lot_ of work to get through. After another few minutes, Ann leant over, poking Leslie again with her foot.  
“Are you still doing work?”  
Leslie smiled. “Uh- yeah. Yeah, I am.”  
“Is it important work?”  
That question took her off guard. “It is, yeah.”  
“Does it need to be done… _right now_?”

Leslie looked up at Ann, who had a look on her face. She looked back down at the reports. It was extensive, and it was confusing. But she was in the zone, and she needed to read these before tomorrow.  
She looked back at Ann, who was looking _incredibly_ needy. Leslie couldn’t help but want to mess with her just a little more. Maybe it was her mischievous streak coming out, or the side of her that _really_ wanted to get her work down, but she just gave Ann a sly grin.  
“It does, I’m afraid. You’ll have to wait.”  
Ann raised an eyebrow yet again. “Oh yeah?”  
“Mhm. Sorry Ann.”  
Leslie had to physically contain her grin. Ann flopped back onto the sofa, letting out a frustrated sigh. Leslie half felt bad- she wanted to rip her wife’s clothes off more than anything, but she had to get this work done first.

Another twenty minutes went by, and it was becoming harder for Leslie to concentrate. She was _so nearly_ done with her work, and Ann was leaning against her, slowly rubbing her hand up and down her thigh.  
“If you keep doing that, I’m going to mess up the report,” Leslie told her, in what she hoped was a firm tone. Ann let out a breath that made Leslie’s back tingle.  
“Why don’t you stop me, then?”  
Leslie turned to her, putting the work on the arm of the couch. “I’m going to _make_ you stop.”  
Ann’s eyes lit up. She bit her lip, and Leslie looked at her.  
“You need to wait.”  
Ann huffed again. “How long?” she practically whined.  
“Until I say.”  
Leslie couldn’t help but feel excited. Ann let out a tiny breath of surprise, before nodding.  
“Alright, I’ll wait.”

A thought occurred to Leslie. She slowly undid the belt around her trousers. Ann watched her slow, methodical movements, heart racing at whatever was about to happen.  
“Lie back for me,” Leslie instructed.  
Ann did so, and then Leslie held up the belt.  
“What are you going to do with that?” Ann asked, in what she hoped was an alluring voice.  
“I’m going to tie you up until I’m ready. Is that okay with you?”  
“God- yes!"  
Leslie grinned. She would never do anything Ann wasn’t comfortable with, or vice versa, so they were always incredibly clear with each other over what was okay.

Leslie made short work of making Ann put her arms back. She quickly tied the belt around her wrists.  
“If it gets uncomfortable, tell me,” Leslie told her, breaking the sexy vibes for a second. “I won’t be long.”  
“You’d better not,” Ann gasped, and the two of them grinned at each other in excitement.  
Leslie snatched the document. She couldn’t help but skim read the rest of it. Ann was beside her, waiting, and Leslie wanted to just get this done so she could see to her needy wife.

After another five or so minutes, Leslie threw the document onto the coffee table and turned to her.  
“Are you ready?” Leslie asked her.  
“Yes- _yes_.”  
“I’m going to take control. Is that okay?”  
“Yes please.”  
“Good.”  
Leslie fiddled with the top of Ann’s jeans, before undoing the button and slowly pulling her trousers down. Ann let out a short gasp, and she almost tried to sit up. It was unusual- they usually took off each other’s clothes, quickly and efficiently, but this slow, deliberate movement was doing wonders for Ann. Or so Leslie thought.  
“Can you hurry up?” Ann complained.  
Leslie laughed quietly. “Did I say you could talk?” she found herself saying.  
Ann didn’t reply, but looked at Leslie with eager eyes. Leslie continued, slowly taking off Ann’s pants.

“You’re needy,” Leslie told her. “You want this.”  
“I do- I really do.”  
"You've wanted this for ages."  
"I- I have."  
“Okay. I’ve put it off long enough.”  
Leslie slowly moved her fingers to Ann’s clit, rubbing slow circles. Ann let out a loud moan, and that made Leslie want to just speed things up. But they were going slow- for now.  
“Do you like that?” Leslie asked.  
“Yes.”  
“Good.”  
Leslie continued, and Ann tried to sit upwards, not used to the lack of contact. Leslie used her other hand to slowly push her back down. She leaned over, one hand still seeing to Ann, so she could kiss her on the lips fiercely.

After a second, she took her hand away, and Ann cried out when she did.  
“Leslie-” Ann breathed. “Please-”  
“What is it?” Leslie asked.  
“Carry on.”  
“I thought we agreed _I_ was in charge here,” Leslie told her in a commanding tone.  
Leslie unbuttoned Ann’s shirt, practically tearing it off her wife in one swift motion. Then she undid her bra- very glad it could come undone from the front. Things were going well, and one fumbling, silly motion might break the spell.  
Leslie leaned down and got one of Ann’s nipples in her mouth, just as she brought her hand back onto her clit. Ann let out a gasp of pleasure, so Leslie continued, quickening the pace.  
Very quickly, Ann realised she was going to climax. Leslie could tell- she was used to her wife’s mannerisms, and she quickened her pace yet again. Then she added another finger, and Ann let out a huge shudder.  
“Please- please-” Ann was saying. “Please keep going.”

So, Leslie kept going. She kept going until Ann let out a shout, moaning Leslie’s name as she came down.  
Leslie stopped, panting, and sat back, relishing looking at her wife. After a few seconds, Leslie leaned over and quickly untied the belt, allowing Ann to move her arms.  
Ann wasted no time in quickly sitting up, kissing Leslie passionately.  
“That was incredible,” Ann told her.  
“Worth the wait?” Leslie asked smugly. "Man, you were _so_ needy."  
“Shut up,” Ann replied, grinning. “You can tell you’re a good regional director,” she added in a whisper.  
“Why thank you,” Leslie replied.

Ann continued to kiss her, putting her hands in her hair and tugging urgently, and Leslie knew that now, it was her turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	92. Stood Still (The Time Ann Cried in the Bathroom)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann's mother has some harsh words for her. Leslie makes her feel better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is fluffy and angsty but there IS some smut in there, so be warned

“How’s the house hunt going?” Ben asked Leslie casually as they sat down to lunch in City Hall.  
“It’s alright,” Leslie replied with a sigh. “I mean, I love that house. And I’ll be sad to leave it.”  
“Aw, really?”  
“Yeah. I mean, leaving my last house wasn’t that hard, because I was excited to move in with Ann. But this is harder.”  
Ben did a signature Ben shrug. “I mean, you’re moving on to get a bigger house for your son. That’s an exciting concept, Leslie.”  
“That’s very true. And maybe I can finally have a room that I can use to perfectly recreate the Oval Office.”  
“Haha… yeah… Anyway, I just wanted to remind you that mine and Chris’ bach-boy bash is next weekend. Just in case you needed to find a babysitter, or-”  
“Oh don’t worry Ben, I’m well aware of the date of your bach-boy bash. Ooh! I’m sure my Mom would love to do it. I would say Ann’s parents, but they live in Michigan. We’re visiting them this weekend, actually. It’s been a while since they’ve seen Oliver.”  
Leslie showed Ben a picture of Oliver- her phone lock screen. He was dressed in an outfit that made him look like a little duck.   
Ben smiled. “Aw, he’s so cute!”  
“Yeah! So- you haven’t yet consulted me on what colours you want for the tablecloths. Blue? _Navy_ blue?”  
“Chris wanted dark green-”  
“-the colour of _kale_ , yes, he mentioned that.”  
“But I was hoping for a blue, yeah.” Ben leaned in. “The same shade of blue as Lando Calrissian’s cape.”  
Leslie paused to consider. “What about turquoise? A perfect mix of both those weird options!”  
Ben grinned. “You’re a problem-solver, Knope.”

***

“I’m happy to sit in the back- really!”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Of course- it’s important that Oliver has someone to keep an eye on him.”  
Leslie leaned over to kiss Ann’s lips softly.   
“Besides, you’re doing the first shift. When we swap over, you get to sit in the back with our beloved child.”  
Ann laughed. “Okay, sounds good.”  
The drive was reasonably long, but they filled the time with conversation- something they never struggled to do. At one point, Leslie had a phone conversation with work, and Ann had to chuckle at the responses she was giving.   
“Yes, I _have_ been told that my enthusiasm is intimidating. It’s something I hear a lot. Okay, thank you councilman. Goodbye.”   
When Leslie hung up, Ann could hear her talking to Oliver. It sounded like she was quietly playing I-Spy with him, and Ann was grinning to herself in the front, loving every second. Nothing could mess with her good mood.

***

When they arrived at her parent’s house in Michigan, it took approximately thirteen seconds for Ann to get irritated with her Mother. She was somewhat similar to Leslie’s mother in that she was quite cold at times, but other times she was overly invested in her life, and it could be quite intense.  
It seemed like, recently, she had spent so much time talking to Leslie that Ann almost felt like she wasn’t interested in her own daughter’s life- except for the new house they were looking at getting. But that question was directed at Leslie, not her. Everything was directed at Leslie.  
And part of that made her happy- Leslie was a busy woman, with lots going on, and Ann was so happy that Leslie had been able to integrate into their family (fairly) seamlessly.They had been anxious at the beginning of their relationship, so seeing how far they had come... it was nice.

They had moved into the living room to talk, but after the seventh question Leslie got about being a regional director, Ann thought that maybe Leslie could tell she was irritated, because she steered the conversation towards something else, in that diplomatic way she always did.  
“So!” Leslie said loudly. “Paul, Sharon, just _look_ at how big Oliver has gotten!”  
“He’s very sweet,” Paul said quietly, a soft smile on his face. “May I hold him?”  
“Of course,” Ann said with a smile, passing the baby to her Father.  
“He’s simply _gorgeous_!” Sharon cooed. “Does he like parks?”  
“He does!” Leslie replied. “I’m in work a lot of the time, but we take him there on weekends.” Leslie turned and smiled at Ann, squeezing her hand. “Ann takes him all sorts of places during the week.”  
“I do,” Ann said. “And-”  
“Have you sorted out care for the weekdays?” Sharon asked, cutting in. “At some point Ann needs to return to her job.”  
Ann huffed. “Actually yes, we have. It starts next week. I’ll be back to my job soon.”  
Sharon nodded, stirring her tea. “That’s good. I used to think that taking on another job was a bad idea for you, Ann, but you must be glad of it, especially since your wife is doing so well.”

There was a long, awkward pause.  
"I don't think it matters who is doing better," Paul said slowly. "Nor is it our business, Sharon."  
"Oh, she knows what I mean, don't you honey?" Sharon said.  
Ann didn’t know what to say, so Leslie stepped in, and Ann could tell that she was irritated.   
“Actually, I nearly stayed off to let Ann go back into work. Nursing is a very important profession, and I don't think you can define success in any singular way.”  
“Oh, I know that,” Sharon replied breezily. “But it must feel odd, knowing you make so much more than her. Ann does tend to stand still, after all.”  
“Sharon,” Paul said, warningly.   
“What?” Sharon asked, oblivious. “She’s never had much ambition, that’s all.”  
There was another pause. Ann felt Leslie turn to look at her. Ann stood slowly.  
“I- erm- I just need the bathroom. I’ll be back in a minute.”  
She turned and left, and quickly heard the hushed tones of her parents talking to each other, their whispers sounding like hissing. She had no doubt that her Dad was berating her Mom, but she didn’t want to stick around to listen.

She walked to the bathroom and locked the door quickly, moving to sit on the toilet lid with a sigh. Pretty soon, she realised she was crying, and wiped her tears, frustrated.  
It never changed.   
She had always known her Mother had a grain of disapproval for her line of work, and it hurt. She worked tirelessly to make the world a better place, and those words stung.   
Back before they got together- right before, actually- Leslie had made a drunken comment about how, if she didn’t get a nudge, Ann had the habit of standing still. Ann knew she was right, but she herself had been so drunk it hadn’t really lodged in her brain. And then they had had their first kiss, and then a _whole_ different story started, so she hadn’t really thought about it since.  
But Leslie had been right. Ann worked hard, _so_ hard, but every day she still felt like a drifter, with no ambition. She was married to most ambitious person known to mankind, and here she was. Stood still.

_“Ann? Are you in there?”_

That was her wife, calling through the door, and sounding quite tense.  
Ann sighed shakily, before moving to unlock the door. Leslie was stood outside, awkwardly wringing her hands. When she saw how sad Ann looked, her face crumpled, and she moved to wrap her in a tight, bone-crushing hug.   
When they finally parted, Leslie could see that Ann was crying, so she moved to shut the bathroom door before leading her over to the bath. The two of them sat on it, and Leslie squeezed Ann’s hand.  
“I’m really sorry about that. She was out of order. I may have accidentally shouted at her a little, after you left. I’m sorry.”  
“It’s not your fault Leslie, I mean- what my Mom said is true.”  
“No it isn’t!”  
“You’ve said so yourself, when I’m not pushed in the right direction, I- I stand still.”  
“I was wrong,” Leslie replied instantly.   
“No, you were so right. I mean, I had pretty much no motivation before we met-”  
“But you were a _nurse_ , Ann! That’s an incredible achievement! You always have these amazing stories about helping people and making a difference. Not only that, but you’ve carried a child, you’ve excelled in your career, you have amazing friends-”  
Ann huffed. “Friends that _you_ introduced me to, Leslie! _You_ got me the job in City Hall, _you_ got me more involved in the community-”

“But you were the one who went to that public forum, all those years ago. _You_ went there because _you_ wanted to make a difference.” Leslie paused. “I saw something amazing in you. If it wasn’t for you, I would still be the tightly-wound stress-ball I was back then! Now I’m… okay, _still_ a stress-ball, but you changed my life for the better. I would be absolutely nothing without you by my side.”  
Ann frowned. “But you’re Leslie Knope. You’re incredible.”  
Leslie smiled. “I am incredible. But without you, I wouldn’t have come nearly as far as I have. You support me and encourage me. You stop me when I’m being crazy. And sure, I’ve helped you from time to time. But we were best friends, Ann! Best friends _do that_ for each other."  
Leslie paused, rubbing her thumb across Ann’s palm.   
“And now we're married, and I am so lucky. But enough about me. This is about _you._ You are the incredible Ann Perkins. And I am so lucky every damn day of my life to even exist in the same space as you. You have done incredible things. And I love you _so_ much.”

Ann sighed softly. “Leslie..."  
“Do you believe what I’m saying?” Leslie asked softly.  
“I don’t know.”  
“Well… that’s okay, I suppose. But it’s true. Every word of it. You utterly astound me every single day. I mean, you put your career on hold to look after our son, while _I_ went back to work. I mean, you’re just- you’re _amazing._ ”  
Leslie leaned over and kissed Ann. It was sweet, and caring, and Ann melted into it, because in that moment it was _exactly_ what she needed.   
It took approximately five seconds for the two of them to heat up, a little. They realised that the kissing was getting heavier, and soon their hands were under each other’s shirts, exploring.

“Wait,” Leslie said, pulling back. “Are you okay?”  
“Yeah,” Ann replied, breathless. “I mean, it hurt my feelings, but I don’t care what she thinks.”  
“You don’t?” Leslie asked.   
“No- I only care what _you_ think. And you love me.”  
Leslie grinned. “I sure do.”  
The kissing continued. After a second, Leslie’s hands slipped down into Ann’s jeans. She looked at Ann.  
"Is this okay? I'm not trying to take advantage of your sadness to-"  
"Leslie," Ann said. "It's more than okay."  
Leslie grinned, so went full on, and soon Ann was having to contain a moan of pleasure. In a few seconds, her back was up against wall, and Leslie was deepening the kiss, and increasing the pressure in between Ann’s legs.   
Ann moaned again, and Leslie chuckled. Ann responded by covering her own mouth so she could moan louder, the other hand up and in Leslie’s hair, tugging it.   
Within two minutes, her legs were shaking with pleasure, and Ann felt the release. She sagged forwards, gasping, but Leslie’s hands were there to catch her, like they always where.   
"I've got you," she whispered. "I'm here."  
Leslie held her gently as she came down. Ann leaned forwards, their foreheads touching. Breathless.

“Are you ready to go back downstairs?” Leslie asked after a minute. “We’ve been up here for- wow- a long time.”  
“Sure,” Ann replied, before giggling. “Sweetie, your hair. Oh dear- let me fix it.”  
Leslie allowed Ann to run her fingers through her hair, straightening it out. Ann looked utterly perfect, as always.  
“What did you say to my Mom?” Ann asked with interest. “You said you shouted at her.”  
Leslie blushed. “Oh. That. Well, I just sort of… said she was out of line, and that I loved you. Quite loudly.”  
Ann laughed. “That’s great!”  
“But-”   
“She deserved it. Don’t worry about it.”  
“Okay.” Leslie paused. “I’m more shocked at the fact that we just did that in your parent’s bathroom,” she said with a small gasp. “I’m sorry, I kind of got into it there.”  
“It was just what I needed,” Ann replied. “I was pent up. Besides…” She lowered her voice. “I’m going to be returning the favour for you in the guest bedroom in approximately five hours.”  
Leslie grinned wickedly. “ _Ann Perkins._ I’m counting down the seconds.”

They left the bathroom, hand in hand, and went back downstairs.   
Paul had obviously spoken to Sharon, because she totally backed off. It was like it had never happened. Leslie took Oliver in her arms, and looked across at Ann. The two smiled at each other. She was so perfect. Her perfect, beautiful, _incredible_ wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	93. Bach Boy Bash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann finds her truth at the Bach Boy Bash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one has less drunken shennanigans and more deep conversations

“Bach! Bach! B-b-b-bach _booooys_!”  
“Tom, are you going to sing that every time?”  
“Yes I am, _Benjamin_. You let me name the Bach Boy Bash, as co-best man. You should have assumed I would turn it into a jingle.”  
Ben turned to look off into the middle distance. That was when Leslie and April entered the office, with the former looking incredibly excited. Ben grinned at the sight of her. Her enthusiasm really was unmatched.  
“Ben! I just wanted to say hi before we all come round tonight!”  
“What time do we need to be there?” April asked her in usual monotonous tone.  
“Chris thinks about seven?”  
“Okay so I’ll come at eleven, got it.”  
Ben rolled his eyes. “April, please don’t come at eleven pm.”  
“Okay. I’ll come at eleven am _tomorrow._ ”  
“She’s kidding!” Leslie insisted, before looking at April. “Aren’t you!”  
April rolled her eyes. “Fine. I’ll come at the _right time_.”  
Ben smiled. “Thank you.”

“ _I_ will be fashionably late,” Donna told them. “By at least a half hour. Gotta’ get my outfit right. It’s matching with Joe’s.”  
“Aw! Cute!” Leslie said.  
“Hell yeah, Knope. We are the cutest couple ever.”  
“But it’s _our_ bach party,” Ben said miserably.  
“Yeah, _Donna_!” April hissed. “Besides. Andy and I are the cutest couple.”  
“Okay,” Leslie said, after a long fake laugh. “ _Sure_. I think Ann and myself win that round.”  
“You’re only cute because you have a cute baby, and the baby isn’t part of your couple,” April replied with a scowl.  
“What about our wedding?” Leslie asked, affronted. “Our _vows_?”  
“I fell asleep,” April replied.  
“Me too,” Tom added, and the two of them grinned at each other. Leslie threw up her hands.  
“Fine! Well maybe we aren’t the cutest couple ever, but _Ben and Chris will be_!”  
Leslie and Ben high fived.  
“Right! I need to go and get ready with my _beautiful wife_ and then drop off my _adorable son_ with my _cute Mother_!” Leslie paused. “Okay, my Mother isn’t cute. But _still_!”  
Leslie left, and April let out a laugh. “Wow. I love annoying her.”  
Ben just rolled his eyes again.

***

“We are _definitely_ the cutest couple,” Ann told Leslie as she fixed her mascara. “They’re just jealous.”  
“That’s what I thought!” Leslie replied eagerly. “Wow- you’ve made my eyes look so much better. Thanks Ann!”  
Ann smiled sweetly. “No problem. Now- when do you want to leave?”  
“Well…” Leslie said slowly, before smirking. “Maybe _we_ should arrive fashionably late.”  
“But we already have our outfits planned…” Ann said in confusion. Leslie raised her eyebrows, and Ann cracked a grin. “Oh _okay_. I see where this is going. And you don’t care that it puts you behind schedule for a themed event?”  
“Ann Perkins, keep talking to me about schedules and we will be even later to the party.”  
The two started kissing passionately. And then it escalated. _Definitely_ putting them behind schedule.

***

When the two of them got to the party, they were only ten minutes late. Leslie’s vigorous planning would have set them to arrive half an hour early, so things seemed to work out just fine.  
“ _Leslie Knope! Ann Perkins!_ You have arrived at our bachelor party!”  
“Hi Chris!” Leslie exclaimed. “Wow, you’re looking handsome!”  
“ _Thank you!”  
_“How does he do it?” Leslie whispered into Ann’s ear.  
“I’m not sure,” she replied. “But he always looks perfect. It’s almost unsettling. It’s weird to think that we used to date.”  
“Yeah,” Leslie said slowly. “And I almost dated Ben. Which is _also_ weird.”  
Leslie and Ann laughed, before kissing softly. When Leslie pulled back, Ann frowned.  
“What’s up?” Leslie asked her.  
“I’m not sure. I might need to talk to Ben about something.”  
Leslie looked concerned. “What?”  
“Oh, it’s nothing.”  
Leslie raised her eyebrows. “C’mon, Ann. No secrets at the Bach Boy Bash.”  
“Well…” Ann let out a long sigh. “I was just thinking about how after Snake Juice, I told Ben that you two should get together. I guess I forgot that there was a time we were all rooting for you and Ben. I liked you, obviously, but I wanted you to be happy. It was just a bit of a dick move.”  
Leslie waved her hand. “Ann! That was years ago! Besides, it all turned out okay. You can’t blame yourself for things you did while you were confused and trying to do right by everyone.”  
Ann sighed. “Yeah, I guess.”  
“I know what can cheer you up. Want to get super drunk?”  
“Yes please!”

***  
Leslie and Ann got into the depths of the party, which was in full swing in the living room. People were everywhere- it felt like all of Pawnee was here- which wouldn’t be unlikely, as Chris had friends in many unlikely places.   
The music was booming- Chris and Ben were dancing together. Ann couldn’t help but admire their house. It was bigger than her and Leslie’s- maybe it was because she was in house-moving mode, but she couldn’t help but admire the look.  
“Look at the high ceilings!” Ann shouted to Leslie over the music. “And look! It has a back garden! Do you think the neighbourhood is safe?”  
Leslie shrugged. She looked around, and spotted Donna walking through the crowd with a huge glass of wine, and a shot of vodka.  
“Donna!” Leslie called.  
Donna sauntered over. “What up, Knope?”  
“You do realtor stuff!”  
“Yeah…?”  
“We need a house. A bigger house. Get us a house. Preferably in this area.”  
Donna chuckled. “Alright, I’ll help you. But I want to see you down this shot first.”  
“Do it! Do it!” Tom exclaimed, popping up from nowhere.  
Leslie snatched the shot and downed it instantly.  
“Piece of cake!” she yelled, just as the crowd around her went wild.  
“It’s clear alcohol,” Leslie heard Ron say. “It’s not hard.”  
“Oh yeah?” Leslie asked. “Well fine!” She took another shot, prompting everyone to cheer again.  
Ron just raised an eyebrow and finished his glass of whiskey.  
Ann was grinning at the exchange, but then she spotted Ben heading into another room, and had the urge to follow him.

***

She managed to stop him when they were both in the hallway, by tapping his arm.  
“Hey, Ben! Great party!”  
Ben turned and smiled at Ann. “Ann! Hey! Thank you, I’m glad you’re here.”  
“Look, I just wanted to- to talk to you about something.”  
Ben and Ann sat down on the couch. Ann tried to ignore the booming music around them.  
“Look, I know it was ages ago. But… I feel bad about how I told you to ask Leslie out. After Snake Juice?”  
Ben scrunched up his face, before laughing. “Ann! It’s totally okay-”  
“No, it isn’t! I was really confused, and I just wanted to Leslie to be happy.” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”  
Ben smiled. “Well, I accept your apology, but it really isn’t necessary. I mean, I’m with _Chris_ now! And I’m so happy.” Ben nudged her. “Besides, I understand how it feels. And at the time, I was more just concerned with keeping you guys a secret. And then I got over my crush on Leslie, and… well, I kind of forgot that happened.”  
“Well, you were amazing back then,” Ann added softly. “You were so supportive. Like, we didn’t make it easy on you. I… I didn’t make it easy on you.” Ann bit her lip. “Or Chris, really. I mean, I started having feelings for Leslie when I was with Mark. But I guess I pushed them down when I dated Chris. He’s such a good guy.”  
“Ann, it’s fine. I promise you.”  
"I'm just happy you two found each other."  
"Aw, Ann. For the record- I'm glad you and Leslie are together."

The two of them hugged, squeezing each other tightly. When they pulled back, Ann was smiling at Ben tearily.  
“You were amazing then, and you’re amazing now,” she told him. _“Thank you.”_  
“No problem, Ann. You’ve been amazing, too.” Ben chuckled. “I mean, I dated your ex. Leslie wasn’t even my ex when you two got together.”  
“It’s fine, Ben! Me telling you to ask out Leslie and then getting with her is much worse than you dating my ex.” Ann paused, frowning. “Full disclosure, when I told you to get with Leslie, I didn’t even remember we had kissed.”  
“See! You told me to date her to make the two of us happy,” Ben reminded her. “And I’m happy now.”  
Ann grinned. “So am I.”  
“It’s just about finding your truth. Right?”  
Ann swallowed. “Is that from Star Wars?”  
“No- it’s from my brain.” Ben paused. "Or maybe it's from one of Chris' many self-help books that he recites in the shower. But I _think_ it was from my brain."  
“Oh _right_! Yes. Right. Finding your truth.”  
The two of them hugged again.  
“I should probably find Chris,” Ben said with a chuckle. “I need to check he’s not drinking anything other than light beer. He always worries that getting drunk will make him want to try, and I quote, _unhealthy alcohol options_.”  
“No problem, you go,” Ann replied. “I’ll find Leslie. I should probably check her competitive nature hasn’t caused her to drink her weight in alcohol.”

***

Ann quickly found Leslie. She and Tom were watching April and Andy as they chugged a beer each.  
“You can do it!” Tom yelled.  
“Who are you rooting for?” Ann asked.  
“Whoever wins!” he shouted back.  
Andy finished the beer first, yelling loudly and crushing the can on his head. April finished second, but only because she tipped the rest of her beer over Andy, making him howl with laughter.  
Leslie cheered, and then she turned to Ann. “Ann! Hey!”  
“I spoke to Ben!” Ann said, her voice loud due to the music that Tom was blasting.  
“Great! Do you feel better?” Leslie yelled down her ear.  
“I do! But can I talk to you about something?”  
“Of course!”

Ann led Leslie through the house, until they got to the back garden. Shutting the back door blocked out most of the music, and they were left with the cool air and the quiet of the night.  
“Wow,” Leslie whispered. “That garden is big. How big do you think it is in square feet?”  
“I’m not sure,” Ann replied. “Did Donna know if there were any places here for us?””  
“She said she would check- hey wait, you wanted to talk to me about something. What was it?”  
Ann sighed, letting the air spill out of her cheeks. Leslie looked at her, concerned.  
“Ann. What’s wrong?”  
“I think I’m a lesbian.”  
There was a long pause. Ann leant against a nearby garden chair, gripping it with white knuckles. She looked nervous.  
“Oh!” Leslie said with surprise, her face brightening. “Ann! That’s amazing!”  
“I know it doesn’t matter,” Ann added quickly. “I just… Ben was saying I need to live my truth, and… that’s my truth.”  
Leslie smiled, and her soft expression put Ann at ease. She closed the distance between them and kissed her, cupping her face with her hands. When they pulled back, she continued to look at her with that soft gaze.

“Ann Perkins. I love you so much, and I can tell that you’ve been quite in your own head lately.”  
Ann chuckled. “It felt like I had lots of things to apologise for tonight.”  
“But you don’t, Ann. Is there any reason?”  
“No,” Ann replied. “Other than just… self-acceptance, really. My Mom going off at me the other week really made me look inside myself, y’know? I kept thinking about what she said, and then I was thinking about Dr Nygard always says to look deep inside yourself, and… well… I didn’t like everything that I saw.”  
“Oh, Ann…”  
“No, it’s okay! I just thought about every mistake I made, and that’s why I remembered what happened with Ben. Or dating Chris while I had brewing feelings for you. And Ben didn’t even mind!” She took a shaky breath. “The gay thing, I mean… I think I’ve known for a while. I was never happy in a relationship, even when the guy was great. And I never felt complete. And maybe I do now because I’ve really hit the jackpot with you-”  
The two paused to fist bump each other.  
“-but I also think it’s because… I don’t like men.”

Leslie squeezed both her hands. “Well, thank you for telling me. I would love you regardless of gender or sexuality, but I’m really glad you felt you could tell me.”  
Ann smirked. “We knew I wasn’t straight.”  
“I mean, duh,” Leslie shot back, making Ann giggle. “I don’t know what I am,” she added, a little nervously.  
“That’s okay too,” Ann insisted. “Everything is okay. Knowing and not knowing.”  
“I think Ben feels the same way as me,” Leslie told her. “He’s just happy with his partner, and so am I.”  
The two of them smiled at each other. Leslie stroked Ann's face delicately.  
“Ann, even if you don’t like things about yourself… I like every part of you.”  
“I know, Leslie.”  
“And one day, you’ll like everything about yourself.”  
Ann let out a breathy laugh. “I keep saying this to you!”  
“I know! We’re both a little insecure, I guess. But I’m much better than I was.”  
“You are. And I’m so proud.”  
They hugged, and when they pulled apart, Leslie rubbed Ann’s shoulders.  
“Should we get back to the party? I’m starting to sober up and I think we need to fix that.”  
“Yes- let’s do that.”

As soon as Leslie opened the back door, she was met with cheers by her fellow Pawnee friends. Ron handed her another drink, and then Ben was at Ann’s side, handing her one. Ann watched as Ben turned to Chris, kissing him happily, and it was infectious.  
Ann felt happy. She was at her good friend’s bachelor party, with her wife, and she was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed :)


	94. The Greatest Nuptial Event in History- Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Chris are getting married!! Chris talks to Leslie about her friendship with Ron, which is growing strained. Leslie and Ann spend some time with Oliver. The gang all arrive at the fancy hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first of a two parter.   
> I hope people are still enjoying this fic, I know it's obscenely long. It will wrap up eventually, but I'm still enjoying writing it so, if people don't mind, it'll be around for a little while longer.

The next morning, Leslie and Ann were sat up in bed, feeling rather like they were both close to death.  
Leslie gagged. “Did I do _twelve_ shots last night?”  
“Potentially. I think I’ve lost the ability to count.”  
“I can’t believe we’re doing another party next weekend,” Leslie groaned.  
“It’s their _wedding_ ,” Ann replied, perplexed.  
“Still! I need at least ten days to be ready for the next one. I’m not young and spritely anymore!”  
“I’ll say,” Ann said with a chuckle, and Leslie shoved her playfully.   
“Alright, alright. I only have a few years on you, Perkins.”  
The two of them flopped back against the pillows. After a few seconds, Ann turned to face Leslie.  
“I’m so glad I’m out. To you, at least. It feels like such a weight off of my chest.”  
Leslie smiled at her. “Well, I’m glad you felt you were able to tell me.”  
“We’re _married_!”  
“Still! There are some things that are really scary to admit. Even if you really want to. I mean, remember when we first started dating? I was afraid of my own shadow. And now…”   
Leslie moved so she was on top of Ann, pinning her down.  
“ _Now_ , I can do things like this…”  
She leant down and kissed her, but after a few seconds, both women pulled back.  
“Ugh-”  
“Yep, yep-”  
“That was really hot and all, but-”  
“Morning breath. Hungover. Yep, I hear you.”  
Leslie flopped back onto the bed, groaning. After a few seconds, the both of them burst into laughter.

***

“Well thank you for having this meeting with me, Governor. No, don’t worry, I was happy to do it over the phone. Okay, keep well. Your embroidered pillow is in the post. Okay. Ba-bye.”  
Leslie was in her office, spinning lazily around in her chair. She plonked the phone back onto the cradle before standing up, stretching. That was her last meeting of the day. And it was a Friday, which meant one thing…  
Chris Traeger burst into her office, interrupting her train of thought.  
 _“Leslie Knope!”  
_ “Uh- hi Chris! You sprung up out of nowhere, huh.”   
_“Guess what is happening tomorrow!”  
_ "You’re getting married!”  
 _“_ I’m getting _married!”  
_ The two of them embraced tightly.  
“Did you get my goodie basket?” Leslie asked when she pulled away.  
“Leslie Knope,” Chris said firmly. “I got my _one-day-to-go_ basket filled with protein and lettuce just this morning and I was _literally thrilled_.”  
Leslie grinned. “I’m so glad! Did Ben like his?”  
“His new Star Wars pyjamas are _greatly_ appreciated.”  
“Well, I’m glad to hear it.”

The two of them left Leslie’s office and walked through the bullpen. She watched Larry spill his soup, April throw a dart at a picture of Jeremy Jamm's face on the wall, and her new incompetent worker Ed drop an entire folder of files onto the floor, scattering them everywhere. That seemed about right.  
“Hey, April!” Leslie called. “I’m heading out for the day, I need to pick up Oliver. We’re having a few hours with him before he goes to my Mom’s house for the weekend.”  
“Okay,” April replied. “You’re going to perform a demon sacrifice, got it.”  
“April!” Chris chuckled. “Your imagination is _delightful_.”  
Leslie and Chris left, and April was left glowering.

“Have you seen all the new staff at the Parks Department?” Chris asked as they walked down to the car park together. “Ron certainly has a new, amazing and capable team.” Leslie frowned. “No, I haven’t. In fact, I haven’t even seen much of Ron lately. How’s he doing?”  
“Hard to tell. He is _incredibly_ difficult to read. And I have read _many_ books on the subject of people reading, and I am, frankly, _excellent_ at it. I am excellent at both people reading and book reading alike.”  
“I see,” Leslie said, trying not to laugh. “Well, he’ll be at the wedding tomorrow, right?”  
“Certainly. All of my dearest, most special friends will be there. Maybe you should use that time to talk to him about the department.”  
“Oh, I get weekly updates about the state of the department,” Leslie replied breezily.  
Chris looked at her. “While that is _incredible_ , I think that there may be more to it that simple figures. Emotions cannot be adequately expressed via email.”  
“Of course they can! My daily love letters to Ann are always very heartfelt. Wait- you think Ron is upset?”  
Chris shrugged. “Like I said- hard to read. And that’s coming from a reading master.”  
“You mentioned.”

***

Leslie finished changing Oliver’s diaper. When she was done, she rolled up his top to blow a raspberry on his tummy, making him laugh loudly.  
Leslie grinned at him, before picking him up and carrying him into the living room, loving how his legs wriggled when he was in motion.   
“Here we are! You remember the sofa, it’s where all the best things happen.”  
Oliver smiled at her and replied in baby gibberish.  
“Exactly!”  
Ann walked into the room, smiling, and Leslie turned to her.  
“Isn’t it amazing? He looks and acts more like a proper person every day. Soon he can help me with paperwork!”  
“Definitely! Or perform a double bypass at the hospital!”  
Leslie grimaced. “Ew, Ann. That’s… gross.”  
“Oh, and filling out _paperwork_ is _less_ gross?” Ann asked, moving to flop onto the sofa and wrap her arm around Leslie’s back.  
“There’s less blood, for one,” Leslie told her. “And… people’s insides! I won’t say any more on it, especially with Oliver listening.”  
Ann raised her eyebrows, and Leslie raised them back.  
“Ann! He can understand us- I’m certain. Look.”   
Leslie looked down at Oliver, who was watching her intently.   
“Oliver,” she said matter-of-factly. “What is your opinion on waffles?”  
Oliver let out a loud giggle, and Leslie looked at Ann pointedly. Ann threw up her hands, trying to contain a smile.  
“Alright, fine! You’re right.” She leant down to look at Oliver. “Son, I promise not to talk about surgical procedures around you. Sound good?”  
Oliver gurgled, and the two women smiled even wider.

"Then it's settled." Ann stood then. “I need to finish packing his weekend bag for your Mom.”  
Ann left, and Leslie leant down to kiss Oliver on the forehead.   
“Thanks for taking my side. Before you get any ideas, that wasn’t us ganging up on Mommy- it was just making a point!”  
Oliver giggled, and Leslie stood and took him into the bedroom.   
“Sit in your crib for a bit, I need to help my poor wife pack your stuff. You literally have _so much stuff_!”  
“You sounded like Traeger then,” Ann commented, and Leslie groaned.  
“Oh god, don’t.”  
Leslie grabbed a little t-shirt and folded it. Ann looked at her in surprise.  
“I always forget how efficient you are at packing.”  
“I’m efficient at many things, Ann.”  
“Very true.”  
“I packed our overnight bag, you should see how much I fit into the tiny suitcase. It’s sort of sexy.”

The two women laughed, and then Leslie sighed.  
“Speaking of Chris… he was talking to me before about Ron. I sort of realised I haven’t properly seen him in a while. We’ve been so busy, I'm worried that, well, I might be losing him, just a little.”  
Ann patted Leslie’s arm. “Oh, Leslie, that isn't true."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Don’t worry. We have this weekend, right?”  
“Right. Yes. Right.”  
“And we’ll all be in the same hotel. You’re going to see him plenty.”  
“Oh yeah! The hotel!”  
“I can’t believe we’re in the hotel _down the road_ , I mean, it’s lovely, but I sort of just want my own bed.”  
“It’s an adventure, Ann! And the wedding is in the hotel."  
"It is? You must have told me that at some point, my brain is like a sieve at the minute."  
"Yeah! It's going to be beautiful. It’s a quest for love, and it’s going to be very romantic. Plus- room service!”  
“Alright, you got me there. Room service.”

***

Leslie’s Mother arrived within the hour. Oliver was all packed and ready, and he had had, in Leslie’s words, “one hundred kisses from both his parents, to last him the whole weekend!” so everyone figured he was ready to go.  
“Be a good boy for Granny!” Ann told him.  
“I’m sure he will be,” Marlene replied, in a breezy manner that rather reminded Ann of how Leslie could be, sometimes. So confident and assured- a side to Leslie that Ann really loved.   
“And don’t forget the kisses we gave you!” Leslie added, before kissing her Mother on the cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”  
“No problem, dear. You guys have a good time at the wedding." She looked at the invite, which was on the table next to the door. "They’re quite a handsome pairing, those two, aren’t they?”  
“They are,” Ann replied.   
“I seem to recall you dated Chris, Ann, is that right?”  
Ann grimaced. “Err- yes it is.”  
Marlene laughed. “Well, you made the right choice in the end. Okay- bye!”

Marlene left, and Ann groaned.   
Leslie chuckled. “You okay?”  
“If nobody brings up me dating Chris for the rest of my life, it will be _too soon_.”  
“Ah, he’s a good guy. You have historically good taste.”  
Ann’s eyes lit up. “Was that a _compliment_? To _yourself_?”   
Leslie blushed. “Maybe!”  
“Leslie Knope showing self-worth. Wow, it must be a good day!”  
“Ann!” Leslie said, giggling. “We’re going to be late! We have an itinerary, remember?”  
“Yes, one that _you_ made for Ben without him asking.”  
“Still! We need to make sure that-”  
Ann kissed Leslie, effectively shutting her up. “I’m just proud of you,” she told her when they were finished. “Very proud.”  
Leslie blushed harder. “I’m proud of you too. Now shall we go?”  
Ann laughed. “Yes, let’s go.”

***

When they arrived at the hotel, Leslie and Ann were very impressed. They spotted April and Andy in the lobby, and Andy beelined over to them, April following behind.  
“Hey guys!” Andy exclaimed. “Wow, you look great!”  
“Erm, thanks Andy!” Leslie said with a frown.  
“Are you wearing that tomorrow?”  
“These are just our casual clothes.”  
“Okay! Hey- have you seen how cool this hotel is?”  
“Yep!” Leslie replied, smiling.   
“It’s so awesome that Chris and Ben are paying for us to stay overnight in Pawnee.”  
“Especially when we _live_ in Pawnee,” April said monotonously.   
“Exactly! They must be _loaded_!”  
“Andy!” Ann scolded. “We shouldn’t speculate.”  
“I bet Chris is a millionaire,” April added. “With a _pool_.”  
“Okay-” Leslie said nervously. “We’ve seen his house; we _know_ he doesn’t have a pool.”  
“What if it’s underground?” Andy asked.  
Leslie’s eyes widened. “Woah.”  
Ann smacked her hand to her forehead. Leslie leaned in, trying not to laugh.  
“I helped organize this shin-dig, and we actually got a really good deal. Just go along with it.”  
Ann laughed, just as Ron awkwardly joined the huddle.

“Ladies. Andrew.”  
“Ron!” Leslie said, surprised. “How are you?”  
“Yes.”  
“Ron!” Andy exclaimed. “How rich do you think Chris is?”  
Ron snorted. “However rich he is, he’s not got gold hidden in multiple places in the city. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I want to acquaint myself with the hotel bar.”  
Ron left, and Leslie couldn’t help but sadly watch him leave, something tugging at her chest. Ann spotted her expression and put her hand on her shoulder.  
“Hey, it’ll be fine.”  
Leslie sighed. “I know. I just… ugh, never mind. Where are Ben and Chris, anyway?”  
“They’re probably setting up the venue,” Tom told her, appearing from nowhere. “It’s here in the hotel- in the _fanciest room_ I have _ever seen_! It’s-” he started to do a little dance. “Fancy!”  
“Tom’s right,” Donna told them. "I'm low-key jealous."   
“Chris wanted somewhere that reminded him of when he visited the Palace of Versailles," Leslie explained sagely. "I found him the best Pawnee had to offer.”  
“Sounds great,” Ann told her. “I can’t wait to see it tomorrow.”  
"Me neither!" Larry said, grinning.  
"Ugh, nobody cares about your opinion _Larry,_ " April told him.  
"Just happy to be here!"

As they were talking, Leslie turned and saw Ben hurrying over to her, looking stressed.  
“Hi Ben! Woah, are you okay?”  
“Yeah I’m fine, I just- I’m freaking out.”  
“How come?” Leslie asked, leading him away from the huddle.  
“My parents are about to arrive, and they are _terrible people_. Not separately, but when they’re together, they become the living embodiment of _satan_. And I can’t bother Chris with this, he’ll take it way too seriously and I just- aaaah!”  
“Okay- okay- calm down. Do you want me to be in charge of keeping them apart?”  
“No, you’ve got lots going on already. I mean, half of this was organized by you.”  
“I can help,” April said, making them both jump. “What?”  
“You just apparated here!” Ben said loudly.   
“April, your help would be much appreciated,” Leslie told her. “Thank you.”  
“Full disclosure, I’m going to turn them both into goats if they misbehave.”  
Ben chuckled. “That might actually help.”  
“Wait, really?”  
“Really.”

***

Leslie and Ann were unpacking in the hotel room. Ann was inspecting the wedding itinerary, which had been left on their bed.  
“Did Chris name it the _Greatest Nuptial Event in History_ or was that a pre-made template?”  
Leslie laughed. “Nope, that was him.” She leaned in. “I sort of think our wedding was the best event.”  
“It started out _very_ dodgy, but it pulled through,” Ann replied, laughing.  
“It certainly did. Let’s hope everything goes to plan this weekend.”  
“Under Leslie Knope’s supervision? I’m certain it will.”   
Leslie sighed happily. “Thank you. Now, we have ten minutes until we meet people downstairs. What do you want to do?”  
“I think we should use this hotel room to our full advantage.”  
“Oh, I agree.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! I do have a narrative plan for this fic, but if there's anything you want to see, let me know!


	95. The Greatest Nuptial Event in History- Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding is about to happen, but things start to go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay maybe this will be in three parts haha. 
> 
> This second one kind of got so long that I wanted to do a whole third chapter for the wedding. Ben and Chris' wedding is clearly more of an event than Leslie and Ann's lmao
> 
> Just a warning, this chapter will touch lightly on themes of homophobia.
> 
> Also WARNING for smut in this chapter!!

Leslie and Ann hurried downstairs, Ann fixing her outfit and Leslie sorting out her hair.  
“That was a _good_ ten minutes,” Leslie told Ann. Ann laughed.  
“You’re telling me. I think that’s the fastest you’ve got me to-”  
 _“Leslie Knope! Ann Perkins!”_ Chris said loudly, shutting Ann up. “You’re here! Where did you go?”  
“Nowhere!” Leslie said loudly.   
“Okay!” Chris replied. “Come and talk to us! We are about to do a celebratory toast for my last night as a single man! And then I’m going to do a press-up for every month of my life.”  
“I just need to check everything is in order for tomorrow,” Leslie replied, dragging Ann with her. “Back soon!”

They went to investigate the main room, which was looking more and more wedding ready. Ben was there, with his City Manager face on, and Leslie clocked the room, doing a quick scan.  
“Okay, so… the caters are here. And so is the cake! Ben, Ben it looks amazing!”  
Ben laughed. “Just be glad Chris said we could _have_ a cake.”  
“I was half expecting him to bring some kind of loaf,” Ann said with a grimace.   
Leslie gagged. “Oh Ann, don’t. You weren’t there for April and Andy’s wedding, it tasted like-”  
Ben looked at her, affronted. “Can we not talk about my soon-to-be husband like this?”  
Leslie held up her hands. “Okay, okay, sorry.” Ben turned around to talk to one of the hotel staff, and Leslie leaned into Ann’s ear, whispering: “It tasted like _butt_.”  
Ann barked out a laugh, and Ben turned around, flustered. Leslie and Ann snapped to attention.

“Okay,” he said. “April must have worked wonders with my parents because they are currently at opposite ends of the room talking to nobody. Apparently, they’ve both said they’re going to bed soon.”  
Ann squinted at him. “Did you… did you _pay_ a hotel worker to keep tabs on your parents?”  
Ben blushed. “Only like twenty dollars! Just for tonight and tomorrow, until the wedding is out of the way. We have a _whole_ night to get through.”  
Leslie frowned. “Okay…”   
“Look, I trust April, but it was just a precaution. I want everything to go well for Chris.”  
“It will go well for both of you!” Leslie announced loudly, making a few of the people setting up the venue turn to look at her. “It will!” she added, lowering her voice. “I’ve made sure everything is going smoothly. Now you can relax, okay?”  
Ben let out a long breath. “Okay. Thanks, Leslie. I owe you a lot.”  
Leslie waved him off. “Of course you don’t. You’re one of my best friends! Now, I have your room for tonight.”  
Ben rolled his eyes. "Can't I just share with Chris?"  
"Ben! I love you, but it's tradition!"  
Leslie spotted someone coming in carrying a large box, and beelined over to them, shouting commands. Ann chuckled.

“You _are_ her best friend,” Ann told him. Ben smiled warmly.  
“I’m glad you think that. But you’re her best friend, really.”  
“I’m her wife. That kind of encompasses it all. But spouses aside, you’re her best friend.”  
“What about Ron?”   
Ann sighed a little. “Yeah, Ron too. Except, Leslie is worried that Ron doesn’t like her anymore. Long story.”  
Ben looked at her, confused. “That’s stupid.”  
“You’re telling me.”   
“Anyway,” Ben said slowly. “I’m glad she has you.”  
Ann smiled. “Ben! I thought we did all the soppy talk last week, Wyatt.”  
Ben chuckled. “Alright, fair enough.”

Leslie hurried back over. “That’s it! We’re ready! If I didn’t have work and a child taking up my time, I could have been her much earlier to sort it all.”  
Ann shot her a look. “Are you dissing our child?”  
“No!” Leslie replied. “Okay, maybe a little. But yeah, it’s all ready now. All ready for tomorrow!”  
She squealed, giddy, and her enthusiasm was infectious. Soon Ben and Ann were grinning.  
“Anyway! Let’s go and watch Chris do press ups!” Leslie nudged Ben. “Right, Ben?”  
Ben blushed, and the girls laughed.

***

Leslie was walking down the corridor towards her hotel room, going over the checklist.   
It was past eleven pm now, and it was nearly time to turn in. She knew her beautiful Ann was putting on a facemask, and she wanted to get in on that action.  
She was about to get her room key out and enter her room, when she heard distant arguing from down the hall. Frowning, she hurried down the corridor, only to see Ben’s Mother walking towards her, furious. Leslie’s eyes widened.  
“Oh shit.”  
But Julia Wyatt had already spotted her and made a point of charging in her direction. Leslie’s confusion over the situation left her frozen in place.  
“Leslie, will you tell Benji that I’m sorry, but I _can’t_ stay here.”  
Leslie’s stomach dropped. “Wait, what? Please tell me you mean here in this hotel and not Pawnee altogether.”  
Julia sighed. “I’ve just managed to shake off your strange friend April. Her husband ran into a door and I took my chance and ran away. She is _so_ strange.”  
“Is that why you’re… you’re leaving?” Leslie asked, confused. Julia shook her head.  
“No. I ran into my ex-husband and his stupid girlfriend. The both of them drive me _totally_ insane, and I can’t stay here. Not to mention the fact that I already felt uncomfortable as it is!”  
Leslie let that sentence hang in the air for a while before she replied.

_“Why are you uncomfortable, Julia?”_

Julia didn’t reply, and Leslie’s stomach dropped even further. Julia let out a long sigh.  
“Don’t look at me like that!”  
“How can I not? This is your _son’s wedding_! Are you just using your ex as an excuse?”  
“Regardless of that, I don’t want to be in the same room as Stephen. And I’m sorry, but you won’t be able to change my mind.”  
Julia went to walk past her, but Leslie grabbed her arm.  
“Are you not even going to tell Ben yourself?”  
Julia clenched her fists and, for a second, it looked like she was going to stamp her foot in irritation.  
Leslie’s face darkened. “You know, Ben wasn’t even going to invite the both of you. And now I see why.”  
Leslie looked at her, angry, but Julia just turned and left.

After a second, Leslie bit her lip, before running to find Ben.

***

She didn’t find Ben first, but she _did_ find Ron. He was entering his room, but Leslie caught him right before he could close the door and pretend he didn’t hear her shouting.  
“Ron!” Leslie called. “Ron, this is important. Have you seen Ben?”  
Ron frowned. “No, I have not. Goodnight.”  
“No- _Ron_ , this is serious. His Mom has left.”  
Ron frowned. “Oh. Well…” he paused. “He could be with April and Andy. I heard Andy yelling when I was at the mini-bar, and I believe I heard that staple Wyatt panicking.”  
Leslie raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t go to investigate?”   
“He sounded like he had it under control.”  
“Alright, sure.”  
“I’m saying that I believe he could be in the Ludgate-Dwyer room.”  
Leslie smiled. “Thanks, Ron. Save me a dance tomorrow, yeah?”  
Ron chuckled. “Not on your life.”  
“Ron! Please?”  
Ron just chuckled again, before shutting the door with a: “Goodnight, Knope.”  
Leslie huffed, before sprinting off to find Ben.

She was indeed able to find Ben in the April and Andy’s room, as Ron had suspected. The door was open, so Leslie walked in to see Ben helping Andy with a nosebleed. April was standing to the side with a giant roll of toilet roll.   
“Ben!” Leslie called, stressed. “Ben, I need to talk to you!”  
“Hi Leslie!” Andy called, his voice muffled.  
“Hey Andy,” Leslie said tiredly. “Are you okay?”   
“Sure am!”  
“Okay. Ben?”  
Ben stood up and followed her outside into the hallway. She shut the door and turned to him. She was about to start speaking, but he got there first.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Ben said. “I wanted to ask if it’s really necessary for me to have a different hotel room to Chris. I know it’s some weird tradition, but-”  
“Ben.”  
Ben caught her expression. “What? What’s wrong?”  
“I’m so sorry, but it’s your Mom. She’s gone.”  
Ben let out a long breath. “She left because of my Dad, didn’t she.”  
Leslie hesitated. “Yeah… among other things.”  
Ben sighed. “Y’know, she’s had plenty of time to get used to the gay thing. Or, not gay thing, the- the Chris thing. The gay thing, whatever you want.” Ben huffed. “Sometimes I think she’s more disappointed in me for loving a man than for bankrupting a town.”  
Leslie’s mouth opened in shock. “Ben! God, no, don’t think that!”  
“How can I not, Leslie? Even if she did leave because of my Dad, she wasn’t comfortable from the start. I just… I hate my family.”  
Leslie closed the gap between them, pulling him in for a tight hug.  
"Family are so complicated. You don't have to love them just because you're related to them."  
"Really?"  
"Really. And in terms of this, we will do whatever you want, I'll support you."  
"Thank you, Leslie."

Ben sighed for a long time, and Leslie squeezed him tighter.   
“Is there anything I can do?”  
Ben shook his head. “I don’t think so.”  
Leslie paused, before smiling. “You know, I think you should share with Chris tonight.”  
Ben looked at her. “You do?”  
“Of course. I was kidding about the separate rooms thing, that’s stupid. You should be with Chris.”  
Ben grinned. “Okay! I mean, I’ll have to move my blu-ray DVDs that I brought with me into his room, but other than that…”  
“I’ll sort everything,” Leslie told him. “Just… go and be with Chris. And don’t worry. Tomorrow is going to be amazing. I’m just sorry I couldn’t’ have fixed this.”  
Ben’s eyes softened. “Leslie, you’ve done everything perfectly. I can’t thank you enough.”  
Leslie smiled at him. “Alright, buddy. Go and enjoy your last night of freedom, or whatever.”  
Ben smiled. “Thanks, Leslie.”  
He turned and left, and Leslie headed down to reception to cancel Ben’s room. It would probably come out of her pocket, but whatever made Ben happy was worth it.

***

When Leslie got back up to her room, finally, Ann was sat on the bed flicking through the channels on the small TV. She looked up and smiled at Leslie when she saw her.  
“Who’d have thought that all the channels would be re-runs of Pistol Pete’s dunk?”  
Leslie grinned. “That’s Pawnee for you.”  
"I still feel bad about the ice rink incident."  
"Ann, I thought we said we would never bring that up again."  
"Noted."  
Leslie settled on the bed, and Ann turned to look at her.  
“Nice face mask,” Leslie commented.  
“Thanks. Where have you been?”  
Leslie explained what happened with Julia, and Ann let out a sad sigh.  
“That’s terrible. Especially since she clearly isn’t fully okay with the fact that her son is marrying another man.”  
“It just makes me grateful that our families are so supportive these days,” Leslie replied. “I don’t know much about Chris’ family, but Ben’s just seem messy. And bitter.”  
“And we have to see his weird Dad tomorrow,” Ann added, making Leslie groan.   
“I just hope it goes okay.”  
“Hey, I’m sure it will,” Ann told her. “Ben and Chris love each other. They have supportive people around them, and that’s all that matters.”  
“You’re right. Like us.”  
Ann smiled. “Yes, like us.”

The two sat in comfortable silence as Ann peeled off her face mask.  
“I miss Oliver. My Mom texted me saying he went down really easily. I’m just still not fully used to having nights without him.”  
“Me neither,” Ann replied. “Although… I _do_ like the idea of having you to myself for tonight.”  
Leslie smirked. “Oh yeah?”  
 _“Yeah.”  
_ Leslie pulled Ann in for a kiss, loving how she moaned slightly at the contact. After a few minutes of kissing, Leslie hurriedly unfastened Ann’s robe, and Ann chuckled.  
“A little eager, are we?”  
“Of course,” Leslie breathed. “How could I not be?”

Ann responded by hastily unbuttoning Leslie’s shirt. Leslie helped her, and then she was removing every item of clothing on herself, and then doing the same to her wife. They kissed for a while longer, before Ann moved to kiss Leslie’s neck. Leslie groaned at the contact, before pulling back.  
“Wait-” she started. “As much as I want a hickey from you, Ann, my dress isn’t exactly going to cover my neck. And I don't have that much concealer left.”  
Ann paused in consideration, before smirking. “I guess I’ll have to give you a hickey somewhere else then.”  
Leslie’s breathing increased as Ann travelled down, her tongue gracing her neck and her chest. Her mouth settled on one of her nipples, biting lightly.  
“You’re bad,” Leslie told Ann, eliciting a grin on her wife’s face.  
"Do you like it?"  
"Of course I do. You're so bad, Ann Perkins."  
Ann smirked, before she went back to sucking. Leslie soon found herself groaning again, using her own hands to dig her fingers into Ann’s back.  
Before she knew it, she was on her back at the opposite end of the bed, and Ann was on top of her. She continued biting for a while longer, and then she brought her hands down to between Leslie’s legs.

“You’re so wet,” she whispered. “We’ve barely started.”   
She was rubbing slowly, ever so slowly, before quickening to pace. She loved how Leslie writhed in pleasure beneath her, especially when she stopped rubbing her clit and instead put her fingers in, going faster and faster.  
“Ann,” Leslie said, breathless. “You feel so good.” Ann grinned. She kept going faster until Leslie came. She had previously been kissing Ann fiercely, but in the final moments before her climax she fell back against the duvet, panting.  
“Oh Ann,” she said slowly. “You really know how to work those fingers.”  
Ann rolled her eyes. “You’re so weird.”  
“You love it.”  
“Mhm. I _really_ do.”  
Leslie tried to contain a grin, before leaping up and, in one swift motion, pinning Ann against the bed.   
“Now it’s _my turn_.”

She kissed Ann on the mouth, before taking her own mouth down Ann’s body, planting kisses on her soft skin. Her arms were on Ann’s wrists, gently keeping her pinned down against the bed, but then she brought then down, rubbing Ann’s thighs. She loved how they shook slightly, in anticipation.  
She started to go down on Ann, and Ann let out such a sweet sound.   
“You taste amazing,” Leslie told Ann, and Ann almost laughed. Leslie was so vocal, regardless of who was fucking who.  
Leslie herself never got tired of this, of making her wife feel this way.   
When they were finally done, Ann fell back against the pillows, exhausted. Leslie crawled up the bed, and the two of them kissed passionately. Ann sighed contently, before letting Leslie wrap her in her arms.   
“I love you, honey,” Ann heard Leslie say as she felt herself drifting off. “Maybe it’s just because there’s a wedding about to happen, but I swear I love you more every single day.”  
Ann hummed happily, and Leslie knew from that that was about to fall asleep.   
"Love you too," Ann murmured. "A lot."  
Leslie held her until she heard her breathing even out. Only then did she too fall asleep, excited for what tomorrow would bring.

***

“Are you okay?” Chris asked Ben for the fourteen time. Ben sighed.  
“Can I just… lie with you? And look forward to tomorrow, and not think about any of the- the _mess_ that my Mom caused?”  
 _“Of course.”  
_ And so, they lay together, and Ben finally felt peace.   
“It’ll be alright,” Chris told him. “I can’t fix it, and that sucks. But please know I’m here for you, Ben Wyatt.”  
“I know,” Ben replied. "I love you."  
"I love you too. And tomorrow, we are going to be married and I _literally_ could not be more excited about any event in the world."  
Ben laughed. "You know what? Me neither."  
He knew that, with Chris here, he had nothing to worry about. Tomorrow, things would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


	96. The Greatest Nuptial Event in History- Part Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Traeger-Wyatt wedding!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everybody had a nice galentines day and then valentines day!

The next morning, it was all systems go. Ben was woken with the sun, as usual, but this time, Chris was jogging in place facing away from him.  
“Honey,” Ben said from the bed, a smile on his face. “It’s a stupid rule.”  
“Do you remember Leslie and Ann’s wedding?” Chris asked while doing star jumps. “They maintained the rule, and it was the best wedding on the _entire planet_.”  
Ben chuckled. “Um, they actually broke the rule. It was actually going really badly _until_ they broke the rule.”  
Chris stopped his exercise to turn and look at Ben, surprise on his face. “ _Ben Wyatt._ You are absolutely _, one hundred percent_ correct _._ ”  
Ben grinned. “So, I get to see my fiancé?”  
“Unfortunately, no. I need to leave to get ready.” Chris sat on the edge of the bed, a soft smile on his face. “I am _extremely_ excited to marry you, _Ben Wyatt_.”  
Ben smiled. “I’m extremely excited to marry you, Chris Traeger.” He paused to laugh. “I can’t quite pull off the full-naming thing like you.”  
Chris grinned. “I read somewhere that, being married, you will most likely pick up some of my mannerisms. And I you.”  
“Chris, I’ve known you over a decade. I don’t think I’ll be able to start now.”  
Ben sat up in bed, and Chris leaned over to kiss him.  
“Ben Wyatt, if I’ve learned one thing from being with you, it’s that you are _full_ of surprises. How are you feeling about your… parental situation?”  
Ben sighed. “I’m okay. I know you and all the others are bending over backwards to make this day amazing, Leslie especially. I know it’s going to be a good day. I’m optimistic.”  
“Optimistic- _Ben_! You’re picking up my mannerisms already!”  
Ben just grinned.

***

By half eleven, everything was prepared. Leslie sprinted back up to her hotel room to throw on her dress, and as she was getting changed, she spotted some small bruises on her chest, and had to laugh.  
“Hey, Ann?”  
“Yeah?” Ann called from the en-suite.  
“It’s a good job that I told you to stop kissing my neck last night. Come and look.”  
Ann exited the bathroom, a toothbrush in her mouth. She snorted.  
“Oh my god,” she said, her mouth full of toothpaste. “Thanks for flashing your boobs at me, by the way.”  
“My boobs are great, Ann.”  
"Can't argue with that."  
The two got dressed and, within twenty minutes, they were walking downstairs to the venue. Before they entered the room, Leslie pulled Ann behind the door.  
“You look beautiful,” she whispered. “My glowing, genius minsk.”  
“Do you mean _mink_? Minsk is the capital of Belarus.”  
“That’s why you’re a genius, Ann!  
Ann laughed. “Well, you look beautiful too. My parks lady.”

After a short make-out session, the women were heading to the back room. Chris was there already, looking, in Leslie’s words, “in absolute tip-top shape.”  
“Thank you, Leslie Knope,” Chris said cheerily. “I was worried that I would rip through the suit with my super strength. That happened at my cousin Fredrick’s wedding and _nobody_ was impressed.” Chris paused to look sad. “It was also a rental. I did _not_ get my money back.”  
“Well, this one isn’t a rental, so after the ceremony you can superman the hell out of it,” Leslie replied with a grin. “Now, where’s Ben?”  
Leslie walked through to try and find Ben, eventually spotting him talking to his Father. Stephen Wyatt’s girlfriend was nowhere to be seen- Leslie suspected she was sat on one of the chairs, sulking. Leslie felt awkward watching them talk but, from her vantage point, she saw Stephen hugging Ben tightly, before heading to the seating area.  
Leslie turned to leave, when she was met with Tom Haverford.

“Do I even _want_ to officiate this ceremony?” Tom asked. “It looks so _lame_ out there.”  
“Did you scrap the speech you prepared?” Leslie asked.  
“Ugh, _yes_.”  
“Well then yes, you can.”  
Tom rolled his eyes. “Alright, Lesbo Baggins. But I want you to know that your guidance has made this event seventy percent _less_ trill.”  
Then Donna was there, grabbing Tom’s arm.  
“C’mon, Tommy,” she said. “It’s about to start. Let me review your outfit.”  
Donna led Tom away, but not before raising her eyebrows at Leslie, who laughed.

Leslie ran back into the room with Ann and Chris, and then Ben came in, looking happy.  
“I talked to my Dad, and he’s walking me down the aisle.” Ben looked at Leslie, happy. “I was worried that because Mom left, he would leave too… but he still- he still wants to.”  
He smiled at them all, teary-eyed, and then Chris was bringing him in for a tight hug. Ann wrapped her arm around Leslie, happy.  
“I’m so happy for you, Ben,” she said with a smile.  
“Thanks guys,” Ben replied.  
“Wait,” Leslie said after a second. “I can’t believe I didn’t know this already- Chris, who is walking you down the aisle?”  
Chris sighed. “Well, both my parents have, unfortunately, passed away. I was planning on just doing lunges all the way down the aisle.”  
Ann frowned. “Nuh-uh. No way. Leslie and I will do it.”  
Chris’ face brightened. “You will?”  
“Sure! We’re already bridesmaids, we may as well take you down the aisle.”  
Chris grinned at them brightly. “Ann Perkins! That is _literally_ the best idea I have _ever_ heard.”  
Ben was grinning, and Leslie gave him a broad smile. Things were working out.

***

The guests were there. Andy was at the top of the room, tuning up his guitar. He had promised Leslie that his nose was fine, even though he had a particularly nice bruise now. April had added that it made him look tough, “like a mine worker,” and Andy had seemed pleased by that.  
Jerry had shown everyone to their seats and, with everything in order, Leslie sprinted to the back of the venue in order to get ready to walk Chris down the aisle. However, she was quickly stopped in her tracks by Ron Swanson.  
“I considered your offer,” he said bluntly. “I will designate some time this evening to spend time with you.”  
Leslie grinned. “Ron! I’m so glad to hear it.” She smiled at him, before nudging his shoulder. “Remember when you walked me down the aisle?”  
Ron smiled _ever so slightly._ “I do. That was a chaotic day.”  
“Worth it in the end though!” Leslie replied cheerily. “Oh damn, that’s the signal. I’d better go.”  
She sprinted to the back of the room and Ron took his seat, smiling.

Ben was there, with his Dad.  
“Okay,” Leslie told him. “Andy will start playing his acoustic version of Accidentally in Love by Counting Crows- excellent choice, by the way- and that’s your queue. Are you ready?”  
“As I’ll ever be!” Stephen replied gruffly. Leslie tried not to roll her eyes. At least the guy was here- that was more than could be said for Julia Wyatt. Ben caught her irritation, and chuckled.  
“I’m ready, Leslie.”  
Leslie turned around and spotted Ann, who was talking to Chris.  
“I’m happy for you,” Ann was telling him. “Truly.”  
“Thank you Ann,” Chris replied, in what was actually a soft tone for once. “I know we have our history, and it means a lot that we can do this.”  
“Chris, you’re a wonderful friend,” Ann replied. “You’ve done so much for us. You _know_ you have. I mean… you gave us our son. And I will never, ever forget that. I am so eternally grateful.”  
Then Andy’s guitar came filtering through the door, and Ben was leaving the back room to walk down the aisle.  
“So am I,” Leslie added quickly. “I’m so grateful. You’re beautiful, Chris. Now, let’s get you married!”  
Chris sniffled, trying not to cry. “Ann Perkins. Leslie Knope.”

Ann took one arm, and Leslie took the other. They started the slow walk down the aisle, and Ben turned around to look at Chris. Leslie almost felt like her heart was going to burst from the cuteness, because Ben’s face was truly the face of a man in love. His Father was stood at the side, and Leslie again felt that tug of relief.  
Leslie wanted to say that she had matched Ben and Chris together, but they had done it on their own. She had just helped a little bit along the way.  
When they reached the top of the aisle, Ann and Leslie let go of Chris and sat down in the vacant chairs at the front. Leslie looked at Ann, who was giving her a teary smile. She rested her hand on Ann’s, squeezing gently.

“Dearly beloved,” Tom started. “We are gathered here to celebrate the love between the world’s most _positive_ man and the world’s most _pessimistic_ man.”  
“Dude,” Ben said, surprised.  
“I’m kidding,” Tom said quickly. “Ben is a huge nerd. Chris is sort of a jock. It’s like opposites attract, and we _literally_ are _all_ here for it.”  
A few chuckles from the audience. Leslie knew that Tom officiating had been a good idea. When he wanted to, he could be romantic. Or even… nice. His documentary about Leslie had proved as such.  
The ceremony went on, and soon it was time for Chris and Ben to say their vows.

“Chris,” Ben started. “I have known for you so many years. We travelled across cities together, me slashing budgets and you making everybody feel happy. You’re great at that. I am so grateful to have your optimism and your influence in my life. Maybe one day you’ll actually sit still long enough for me to get you to watch Twin Peaks.”  
Leslie squeezed Ann’s hand tighter. She might cry.  
“That was beautiful,” Tom said, a slight tremor to his voice. “Okay- uh- Chris. Go.”  
“ _Ben Wyatt_ ,” Chris said snappily. “You have always been around to keep me grounded. When I was in the throws of depression, you were there to pull me back. I have done the same for you only once, but it was my pleasure to bring you back to physical and mental fitness. I want to live to be one hundred and fifty, and _now_ I can start feeding you vitamin smoothies _every morning_ , so you can live to be one hundred and fifty by my side.”

There was a short silence, where the audience looked on with awed smiles. Ann could hear Leslie crying next to her, and she felt a few tears slip out herself.  
The rings were exchanged, and then Tom was asking those immortal words.  
“Do you, Chris Traeger, take Ben Wyatt to be your husband?”  
“I do. Hopefully just in health, not in sickness.”  
A few chuckles. Then Tom was asking Ben the same thing.  
“Of course I do,” Ben replied, a grin on his face.  
“Cool!” Tom said loudly. “Well, I now pronounce you husbands!”  
Ben and Chris grinned at each other, before sharing a sweet kiss. It was perfect.

***

At the party, Ben and Chris spent their first dance linked in each other’s arms. It was after the first chorus of Man On The Moon by R.E.M that Ben invited everybody to dance. April and Andy were the first up there- both of them doing bizarre, crab-like dance moves.  
"This is how you do it, Pawnee!" Andy was shouting.  
"And this is how _satan_ dances!"April roared.  
Ann pulled Leslie onto the dance floor easily. Leslie had a drink in her hand, but the two of them danced and laughed for a while. When that song was finished, another song came on- a slower one- and Ann spotted Ron dithering to the side. She chuckled, before letting go of Leslie.  
“Swanson?” she called. “You’re up.”  
Ann disappeared off to talk to Donna, and Leslie turned to smile at Ron, who looked only slightly uncomfortable. He was stood near her and, surprisingly, let her sway him along to the music.  
“How are you holding up?” Leslie asked him. “I know weddings aren’t really your… thing.”  
“They’re not not my thing,” Ron replied frankly. “I am fond of expressions of love. It’s just that a good whiskey by the fire with a loved one works just as well.”  
Leslie snorted. “I love that.” She sighed, and Ron looked at her.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“I don’t know, Ron. I feel like I’ve not spoken to you in a while. We haven’t even talked about the department in so long! Or your kids, or Dianne!”  
Ron grunted. “I am a private person, Leslie.”  
“Yeah, but I’m your _best friend!_ ”  
Ron grunted again. “Workplace associate.”  
“But we’re not even _that_ anymore. I… I _miss_ you.”  
Ron sighed softly. “That is a kind sentiment. I... miss you too.”

The two of them looked at each other, and then the song ended and Ron was stepping back. Leslie felt sad. Why did she feel sad? Wasn’t it good that they had had a conversation?  
“Good dance, Knope,” Ron said slowly, before downing the rest of his drink. Leslie chuckled.  
“Thanks for letting me dance with you.”  
“We shall have to do it again sometime.”  
And then he was off in the direction of the bar, and Leslie was left feeling slightly good but also slightly bad. Ann reappeared just in time, to pull her in for a hug.  
“You okay?” Ann asked.  
“My two best friends have married each other,” Leslie told her frankly. “I am very happy.”  
“But?”  
“Nope- no buts. This is a special day. And it all went to plan!”  
“More or less,” Ann said with a laugh.  
"Ours didn't go that smoothlyy," Leslie added.  
"But it was perfect."  
"It really was," Leslie said in a wisftul tone.  
Ann looped her arms around Leslie's neck. “But I think that every success is down to you, Leslie. I’m honestly in awe of you every single day.”  
“Aw, Ann,” Leslie replied. “I’m in awe of you too.” She leaned in. “And you look so good in that dress. I can’t _wait_ to rip it off you later.”  
Ann barked out a laugh. “Okay! Don’t forget we have to pick Oliver up at two pm tomorrow.”  
“Ugh. Who invented these terrible schedules? I want to get drunk and have a party!”  
“Okay, erm, we’re _at_ a party, and _you_ set the schedule! You said that going more than thirty-six hours without Oliver would, and I quote, _destroy your soul._ ”  
Leslie paused. “Okay, yes, I do remember saying that. And I do miss the little guy.”  
“Me too,” Ann said. She pulled Leslie closer. “We can still have fun tonight. And then we get to pick up our son. I love this, Leslie. What we have right here.”  
“Me too,” Leslie replied. “I love it very much. And I love you.”  
Ann smiled widely. “I love you too.”  
Chris and Ben joined them on the dancefloor, then, and the four of them were laughing together.  
"Chris- you cannot dance!" Ben said with a laugh. "It's fine, I forgive you."  
_"Ben Wyatt!"_  
They kissed, and then the rest of the Parks Gang (those who danced) came out to dance too.  
Leslie was so happy to be with all her friends, and her beautiful wife, dancing the night away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	97. The Heartwarming Housewarming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a housewarming party. There is a decision. There is weed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has weed smoking in. I can't bring myself to hurry up and end this fic, lets see how many more chapters I can force out!

“Well, after weeks of meticulous searching-”  
“ _Meticulous?_ I’ve seen meticulous- you were practically insane. I’ve never seen anyone be that thorough about anything, and I’ve seen you do a _lot_ of things, Knope.”  
Leslie chuckled. “Alright, Donna. Okay.”  
“I’m serious- you scared me at times.”  
“ _Okay_ , well, after weeks of searching we have found the perfect house for us. And we are moving in _this week_!”  
“Is it the one you looked at that’s near our house?” Chris asked. “It is _literally_ the best neighbourhood I have _ever_ seen.”  
“It is!” Ann replied, stepping in. “We really liked the area, and a house came up on the market, so we snatched it up.”

Leslie adjusted Oliver, who was on her hip. He looked at her, a smile on his face, and Leslie leaned down and kissed his nose, making him giggle. He started speaking in that baby babble of his, and Leslie held up her hand so he could continue to “talk,” everyone else watching her.   
Finally, she turned to her friends.   
“We wanted a big house, so this little guy could have his own room.”  
“And a guest room!” Ann added excitedly.   
“Are you thinking of having more kids?” Andy asked, and Leslie was surprised he was asking such a normal question.

“Erm…” Leslie and Ann looked at each other, a little surprised, before both shrugging.  
“We’re quite happy with our little dude right here,” Ann explained, ruffling Oliver’s hair. He had grown little brown curls on the top of his head, and they were incredibly fun to mess with. His face always got a little grumpy, but Ann knew he didn’t mind.   
“Speaking of which,” Ben said slowly, looking at Chris, who grabbed his hand. “We’ve decided we want to start our family.”  
Leslie’s face lit up. “What?! No way! Ann, take the kid, I need to hug these men.”  
Ann quickly grabbed Oliver so Leslie could squeeze Ben and Chris tightly. She looked at Ron, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression. It made Ann want to laugh, watching him be bemused by her wife's displays of affection.

“When did you decide?" Leslie asked loudly. "Oh! Was it on your honeymoon? Did Paris make you want to start a family? Was it the higher-than-average population density for Europe?”  
Ben looked at Ann, who just smiled at him with a shrug.   
“No!” Tom cut in. “I bet it was seeing how dope I’ve been dressing Oliver, and you guys wanted in on that action, right?”  
“Erm, give me the credit I deserve, Tom!” Donna cut in.   
“Actually, Chris and I have been planning it for a while. We were just busy with the wedding, and our jobs, but… now’s the time.”  
Ben and Chris smiled at each other, and Leslie could feel her eyes filling up.   
“Okay!” she said. “Party in our new house this weekend! For both the new house _and_ for this wonderful news!”  
“But I’ve got a thing with-”  
“You’re coming Larry! Or Jerry! Whatever the hell your name is, I’m not entirely sure anymore!”  
“Aw jeez.”

***

“So,” Leslie said with a sigh. “How are we feeling?”  
They had taken two days off work to pack up their house, and now they were looking at empty rooms and a pile of boxes in a moving van outside.   
“I’m feeling good,” Ann replied. She was pushing the pram back and forth, with Oliver sleeping inside. “It was time to get a bigger place.”  
“Are you upset about moving away from Pawnee Commons? What about anxious? Are you anxious about making friends with the neighbours? What if one of them has an aggressive dog?”  
Ann chuckled. “Are you trying to tell me _you’re_ feeling all these emotions?”  
“Maybe.”  
“Okay, well, maybe I am feeling those emotions too. Mainly the park one, not the totally hypothetical dog one.”  
"It's just... this is our house. Not only is it our house, but it's _Ann's house_! And I love Ann!"  
Ann let go of the pram to pull Leslie in for a hug, smiling as Leslie’s hands wrapped around her back and squeezed her tightly.  
“I’m going to miss the house,” she told her. “And I know you struggle with change.”  
“I do sometimes,” Leslie said. “And I will miss this place. It’s where we properly became friends, where you proposed, we got _married_ just outside.”  
Ann let out a happy sigh. “That’s very true.”  
“But this is all good. I am sad, but we have a family that’s growing, and we need the space. And I have you moving with me, so I’ll never be sad, not really.”  
Ann kissed Leslie’s lips. “Aw, baby. You’re adorable.”  
Leslie grinned. “Hell yeah.”   
They looked around the house one last time, before heading outside and shutting the door with a click. Leslie let out a breath. This was good.

***

The new house was everything Leslie had dreamed of and more. It was huge- lots of space for Oliver to run around in, once he learned to walk that is. There was storage space, nice neighbours, and cupboards that weren’t too high up. _That_ was a dealbreaker.  
“You’re just tiny,” Ann teased as she put some ornaments on the top shelf- out of baby-grabbing reach.  
“Alright, alright,” Leslie said with a chuckle. “I fit a lot of personality into my diminutive frame. Or at least, that’s what my fourth-grade math teacher said.”  
Ann laughed. “So, lots of big news this week, huh.”  
“Hm?”  
“Ben and Chris!”  
Leslie’s face lit up. “Oh yeah! Wow, it’s crazy isn’t it.” Leslie paused. “Do you think they’re going to ask one of us to be a surrogate?”  
Ann turned to look at her. “I’m not sure. Is that something they’ve mentioned before?”  
“No, it’s just- back when we asked Chris to donate sperm, I said that I’d be a surrogate. Vaguely.”  
“That’s a big decision, Leslie.”  
“So is donating sperm!”  
“Sure, of course! But, like, you’d be carrying a baby for nine months. That’s a... a very big decision.”

Leslie moved to sit on the freshly made bed. Their new bedroom smelt slightly of lavender, and she loved that.  
“I know it is,” Leslie replied. “But without them… we wouldn’t have our boy. So if they ask me, I’m going to say yes.” Leslie paused, swallowing. “Is that okay?”  
“Okay?” Ann asked, surprised. “Of course it is, Leslie. I just don’t want you to think that you have to accept.”  
Leslie smiled. “I just think it's something I want to do for them. If they ask, I mean. They might not. They could adopt!”  
Leslie was grinning widely, and Ann smiled at her.   
“God, I love you so much.”  
“I love you too.”

***

That weekend, the party was a total hit. Leslie was really pleased that the house was so big, because it meant that everyone wasn’t just chilling in the kitchen (a personal issue Ann had with parties) and she was getting so many compliments it made her feel very important.  
“Yoooo! Leslie!” Tom hollered. “Your crib is straight up _dope!”  
_ “Uh… thanks?”   
Before she could continue, April was grabbing her arm and tugging her through the house.   
“Woah! April!”  
Before she knew it, they were in the garden, and she was met with an excited looking Andy.   
“Guys, what the hell is going on?”  
“Leslie!” Andy called. “Wait, where’s your kid?”  
“Oliver’s upstairs, sleeping. That’s one great thing about having this huge house, you can’t hear a thing! Ann and I are checking him every twenty-five minutes-”  
“Yeah yeah, whatever,” April interrupted. “Do you want to smoke some weed?”  
Leslie’s eyes widened. “Is this why you dragged me out here?”  
“Yeah, it’s just like last time!” Andy said cheerily. “Well, the last time for you. Not for us.”

Leslie shook her head. “Andy. April. I’m flattered, but I’m a _mother_! I’m a- a homeowner!”  
“Alright fine,” April replied, before lighting up. Leslie watched her inhale deeply, before passing the joint to Andy, who did likewise. Leslie rolled her eyes.  
“Ugh, fine. I will smoke weed with my friends.”  
April’s eyes lit up. “Woah, you will?”  
“Yes, I will! But just this one, okay? I’m already on wine.”  
“Yeah of course!” Andy assured her. “I’ll take care of you Leslie.”  
“Gross,” April muttered.   
“I’ll take care of you too, babe! I’m the guardian of the party.”  
Leslie inhaled, feeling the smoke fill her. She breathed out, smiling widely.   
“Why are you guys including me in this?” she asked the pair. “Am I not, like, really uncool to you guys?”  
“Yes,” April replied instantly. Leslie rolled her eyes, and April floundered slightly. “I mean, we think you’re lame. But you’re cool too.”  
“Yeah!” Andy added. “And you’re like a hot older sister.”   
“Ew, what?”  
“No! Forget I said that. A hot aunt?”  
“Andy.”  
“Okay, maybe I’m stoned already. Ignore me!”

"Does weed help with big decisions?" Leslie asked.   
Andy's smile was wide. "If you're talking about what movies to rent on a Friday night then _yes._ "  
"I'm thinking more... life-changing ones."  
April squinted at Leslie. "I don't think you need weed to come up with solutions."  
Leslie smiled at her. "You don't?"  
"Nope. You're cool, Leslie. And you're nice."  
Leslie grinned. "Is that the weed talking?"  
"Yes."

***

Ann was dancing with Donna when she felt a tug at her sleeve. She turned to see Chris Traeger, grinning at her.   
“Ann Perkins!”   
“Hey Chris!”  
“Your house is _literally_ the most beautiful house I have ever seen.”  
“Aw, thank you! It’s cool that you live so close by.”  
“I agree. Where’s Oliver?” he asked.   
“Upstairs, sleeping. I need to check on him actually, do you want to join me?”

The two of them got upstairs, and Ann smiled as Chris’ face lit up at the sight of him. She checked he was still sleeping okay, before tiptoeing to the corner of the room. Chris was still stood there, and Ann turned to look at Chris.   
“He really is perfect,” Chris said softly. Ann watched him.  
“He is.”  
Chris turned to her, and then he left the room, allowing her to quietly shut the door. The two headed down the landing until they were stood at the top of the stairs. Chris hesitated, and Ann looked at him.  
“Ann, I want to be a parent,” Chris told her.   
“I know,” Ann replied with a smile. “You’re going to be a great one.”  
Before they could speak, Leslie was hurrying up the stairs.

“No Ron, I don’t have larger whiskey glasses. Yeah okay, fine, you can fix the dodgy front porch step. Oh, you brought some tools already? Okay, cool!”  
She continued up the stairs and, when she got to the top, was surprised to see Ann and Chris.  
“Oh, hi guys!”  
“Oliver’s fine,” Ann told her. “Where have you been?”  
Leslie just giggled. “Outside. How are you guys?”  
“I was just telling Ann Perkins about my desire to be a father,” Chris explained. “Ben wants to as well, and we’re looking at options.”  
“Chris,” Leslie said. “I’m so happy for you guys. And… this isn’t the weed talking, but I want to help in any way I can.”  
“Weed?” Ann asked with a frown, just as Chris’ face lit up.  
“Leslie Knope!”  
Then Ben was at the bottom of the stairs, calling up. “There’s my husband!”  
Leslie dashed down the stairs, grabbing Ben’s arm and yanking him up to join them, despite his protests.

The four of them stood on the landing, and Ben looked at Chris. Chris looked at Ann. Ann looked at Leslie. Leslie looked at all three of them at once, somehow.   
“Guys,” Leslie said slowly. “If you want me to, I will be the surrogate for your child.” Before anyone could speak, she was hurriedly continuing. “If you want to adopt, or choose someone else, that’s totally fine too! I just- I wanted you to know that I don’t mind doing it with you guys.”  
She paused, and Ann frowned.  
“Okay,” she continued. “Not _physically_ doing it. But you get my point.”  
Chris was grinning at her. “Leslie Knope!”  
“Leslie,” Ben said quickly. “That’s- I mean, that’s _amazing._ But are you _sure_?”  
“I’m more than sure,” Leslie replied. “I’m certain.”  
Leslie felt Ann grab her hand, and then the four of them were hugging tightly. It could be figured out later. But right now, they were so unbelievably happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :)


	98. Stuck With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie and Ann get trapped in an elevator. Ann is anxious. Leslie is a problem solver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW- Implied Claustraphobia 
> 
> This one sort of just came to me last night and it wasn't planned but I had to put it in there, hope you enjoy!

“Are you ready to get home?” Ann asked Leslie. She had met her on the fourth floor at five o’clock, just as Leslie was leaving her office.  
“I sure am! Wow, Ann, you won’t believe all the problems I solved today. It felt amazing!”  
Ann grinned. Her wife was giving her a glowing grin, and it was infectious.  
“You’re in a good mood!” Ann said loudly.  
“Let’s keep that good mood going, Ann! What do you want to do tonight?”  
“Erm… make nachos and watch films?”  
“I love it! We need to show Oliver _Grease_! It’ll be his favourite musical, aside from the musical Oliver!”  
Ann grimaced. “Does he _have_ to like Oliver? I know you love it, but you made me watch it and, honestly, I didn’t rate it.”  
Leslie huffed. “I thought we were in good moods today, Ann!”  
“Sorry!” Ann laughed. “Just think about the nachos!”

April was staring at her computer as Andy was messing with her rubber band ball, flicking bands all over the place.  
“I can’t believe I’m actually staying to finish a report,” April hissed. “What have I become?”  
“It’s so lame,” Andy agreed. “But you’re still super duper hot, so it’s fine.”  
April just rolled her eyes. She looked up, watching Leslie and Ann excitedly talk from her desk.  
“They gross me out sometimes,” April said.  
“I think it’s nice!” Andy replied. “Except we all know that the best nachos are the ones that _I_ make.”  
“Yeah obviously,” April replied quickly, despite the fact that her husband didn’t melt the cheese on his, leaving them fairly disgusting. She wouldn't change them, though.  
Leslie turned to April as she and Ann were walking out. “April!” she called. “Andy! Why are you still here?”  
“We’re waiting for everyone to leave so we can tip whipped cream on your computer and delete the parks forever,” April deadpanned.  
Leslie rolled her eyes. “Okay, sure. Please don’t do that.”  
“I will!”

***

Leslie and Ann left, Ann chuckling at how Leslie was muttering under her breath. They chatted casually all the way to the elevator and continued to do so as the door slid shut and it started to move.  
They stopped their conversation as they felt the elevator judder to a stop, and Leslie felt Ann jump beside her as the lights flickered. They waited a few seconds, and the elevator didn’t start again. They were stuck between the third and second floor.  
Leslie quickly hit the emergency button, but nothing happened. She hit it again, and still nothing.  
“Damn old elevators,” Leslie complained. “The amount of times I tried to get them seen to when I was in the council.”  
“Are we trapped?” Ann asked, and Leslie detected a small shake in her voice. Leslie turned to her.  
“We are for now. But I’m going to fix it. I’m going to call Roz and ask her to keep Oliver for a few hours. I’ll pay her extra."  
"Right."  
"Then I’m going to call one of our friends and I’m going to tell them to inform the maintenance crew that we’re stuck. They can then inform the fire department. Okay?”  
Ann let out a breath. “Okay.”  
“Hey,” Leslie said quickly, rubbing her arm. “It’s okay. We’ll be out of here in no time, yeah?”  
Leslie kept her hand on Ann’s arm as she did what she said she was going to do. Roz was happy to keep Oliver for a while longer. Unfortunately, when it came to the second half of Leslie's solution, Donna, Ron, Ben and Chris all didn’t answer.  
“No problem,” Leslie assured Ann. “Let’s try April.”

***

Surprisingly, April did pick up, and she only took a small amount of convincing to get the maintenance crew to come and help them out.  
Ann rolled her eyes as she heard Andy yelling that he was going to rescue them himself the entire time that April spoke to the maintenance people, but then April was back on the phone.  
_“It should take about an hour.”  
_“Thank you April,” Leslie replied. “Very well done.”  
“ _Good job you have cell service_ ,” Ann heard April quip. _“Or you’d just die.”  
_“Shut up April,” Leslie replied, glancing at Ann, who looked pretty nauseous. “Can you just do it, please?”  
April said that she would, and soon Leslie had hung up. Ann watched her as she started mumbling to herself about the elevator dimensions and whipped cream.

“How are- how are you so calm right now?” Ann asked, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice and failing.  
Leslie looked at her. “Ann! This is just another problem we need to fix. I’ve fixed loads of problems at City Hall before. Twelve problems were fixed today specifically, and this problem is no exception.”  
“But…” Ann swallowed. “Aren’t you nervous? Or anxious? Or stressed?”  
“Not particularly.”  
"Yesterday you got stressed about the length of our curtains!"  
Ann didn’t understand it. Usually, Leslie was announcing every single anxiety she ever had. But now, looking at her, she was strangely calm.  
"I mean..." Ann threw up her hands. "I'm sort of terrified! Is there something wrong with me?"  
“Ann.” Leslie moved over to her and wrapped her in a hug, slowly removing Ann’s bag from her shoulder as she did so to squeeze her tighter. “It’s okay,” she soothed. "There's nothing wrong with you. Not at all."

“I’m just confused!” Ann replied. “How are _you_ not freaking out about this?”  
"Would you rather we spiralled together?"  
"Erm..."  
“I mean, it’s not ideal, but it’s going to be solved. We’ve got the best of the best on the case.” Leslie watched her. "Deep breath?"  
Ann breathed in, and then she breathed out. “Best of the best? April and Andy?”  
“The best of who could answer at the time.”  
“Leslie.”  
“Ann.” Leslie scrutinized her face. “I’m concerned about you right now. Are you okay?”  
Ann laughed. “I don’t know. I- I don’t really like small spaces.” She paused as the lift juddered again. “Or rather, I don’t mind small spaces, I don’t like ones that keep _moving_ like that!”  
Ann huffed, wrapping her arms around herself. Leslie sighed sympathetically, before leaning over to slowly untangle her limbs, which were tensed from the stress. Then she started to massage Ann’s shoulders gently.  
“Breathe with me, okay?" Ann matched her breathing to Leslie's as Leslie continued to talk. "I know that, once we get out of here, I get to tell the maintenance people to fix the elevator that’s been on its last legs for years. Then we get to go home with Oliver and have nachos and watch films. Everything is going to be just fine.”

“I know,” Ann replied. “I do know. I just- I get scared.”  
Leslie nodded. “I know.”  
Ann’s breathing was a little shaky and a little too uneven for Leslie’s liking, so she quickly decided to think of a way to distract her.  
“Why don’t we sit down while we wait?”  
Leslie sat heavily on the floor, encouraging Ann to do the same. As soon as Ann was settled and leaning into her, Leslie started to talk.  
“These elevators were put in in 1973,” Leslie said, squeezing Ann’s hand. “They’re a classic design, about three feet wide and four feet deep. And, up until recently, I used to clean the mirrors myself.”  
“What?” Ann asked, bemused. “Really?”  
The lift juddered again, and Ann automatically flinched, instinctively leaning into Leslie, who smoothly continued talking as if nothing had happened.  
“Oh, sure. The cleaners have a lot to do, sometimes they forget to do inside the elevators.” Leslie laughed. “I think everyone forgets them, especially since the emergency buttons don’t work. I’ll speak to somebody about that." She giggled. "I have the power now.”

Ann looked up to smile at Leslie. “You’re so driven, Leslie. I really love that about you.”  
“Thanks, Ann! I’m a problem solver at heart.”  
“You did a good job of fixing up my life, that’s for sure,” Ann said with a laugh. “I was a mess before I met you. Living next to a pit. A total pushover. No drive at all.”  
“And people think _I’m_ the mess!” Leslie said with a laugh. “I’m kidding.”  
“We were both a little messy,” Ann said, finally laughing, and Leslie grinned.  
“Nothing wrong with that.”  
“I agree.” Ann rested her head on Leslie’s shoulder, sighing. “I’m glad I’m in here with you, at least.”  
“I bet you’d rather be here with April,” Leslie said with a laugh. Ann groaned.  
“Don’t. I love that girl, but I’d be terrified for my life.”  
“So you’re glad I’m here because I wouldn’t murder you?” Leslie teased.  
“Mhm. And you have a comfy shoulder to lean on.”  
Leslie chuckled. She was just glad that Ann had calmed down a bit. She hummed softly, stroking her thumb in Ann’s palm as they sat there.

***

After another few minutes of calming Ann down, Leslie got a text from April saying that some people were opening the elevator shaft, finally.

**The fire department are here. (Sent: 17:36)**

Leslie smiled at her phone.

**Good. I have a good working relationship with them. (Sent: 17:36)**

**Literally everyone knows that. You never shut up about it. (Sent: 17:37)  
Anyway you’ll be out soon. (Sent: 17:37)**

Leslie rolled her eyes, before looking at Ann.  
“We’re making progress.”  
“We are?”  
Before Leslie could reply, there was a loud bang from above them, and Ann grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly.  
“Don’t worry,” Leslie was quick to calm Ann down, smoothing her hair with the hand that wasn’t tightly locked with Ann’s and keeping her breathing steady. “It’s the fire department. Shh- we’re okay.”  
“I don’t-”  
"Deep breath."  
Ann breathed in, and then swallowed. “I feel like how I do on planes. Sometimes I just get really scared.”  
“I know,” Leslie replied. “It’s okay. I’m here.”  
Ann smiled at Leslie, a little teary eyed. “I love you.”  
“I love you too.”

They kissed, and Ann’s hands were on Leslie’s face. The kissing got more intense, and both the women were enjoying it. It occurred to Leslie that she should have kissed Ann _way_ sooner. Going off how positively Ann was responding to her kiss, instead of talking about the interior measurements of the elevator, kissing her would have calmed her down _much_ quicker.  
Leslie continued to kiss her, and things were just about to heat up when there was another bang, and then the hatch at the top of the elevator was being opened.  
Ann leapt back from Leslie, flushed, and Leslie turned to see somebody from the fire department poking his head in.  
“Are you guys okay in here?” he asked. “Oh! Leslie!”  
“Hi Keith!” Leslie replied, trying to slow her breathing. "H-how are you?"  
Keith laughed. “Come on. We’ll have you out in no time.”

Within minutes, Leslie and Ann were out of the elevator and on the third floor. Ann looked shaken up, but then both she and Leslie were gathered up in a hug by Andy.  
“I’m so glad to see you guys- I was so worried!” he exclaimed. “I don’t think I could do your job Leslie, it’s too much responsibility.”  
“Andy, if I died, you wouldn’t inherit- you know what? I’m glad to see you too.”  
“Me too,” Ann said shakily.  
“Was it hot in there?” Andy asked Ann. “Why are you all red in the face?”  
“Andy!” April hissed, stomping on his foot. Andy just laughed and kissed April, sufficiently distracted.  
Leslie smiled at them, before looking at her phone, where she was now getting texts from her friends asking what was wrong. She quickly shot a message to the group chat explaining the situation and saying that they were fine before grabbing Ann’s hand.  
“Are you ready to go?” she asked her wife.  
“I am,” Ann replied.  
“Great. Let’s take the stairs.”

***

By half six, Leslie and Ann were home, Roz the nanny was paid, and Ann was sat on the sofa with Oliver on her knee. He was smiling at her, grabbing at her hair, and Ann smiled back at him, talking to him and asking him about his day. He couldn’t respond properly, obviously, but she had a feeling he was understanding her, in a weird way.  
“But don’t worry,” Ann explained quietly. “Your Mommy was fine. Because your other Mommy was a superhero and kept me calm. Isn’t that great?”  
Leslie walked into the room with a huge plate of nachos. “Isn't what great?”  
“I’m just telling Oliver about how you saved the day today,” Ann explained.  
Leslie chuckled. “Honey. Come on.”  
“You did! I was totally freaking out, and you kept me grounded. Classic problem solver.”  
“The amount of times you’ve done that for me, Ann…”  
“Don’t deflect,” Ann instructed, leaning over to peck Leslie on the lips. “Just accept the praise.”  
Leslie snorted. “Okay, I can do that.”

She put some nachos in her mouth, before picking up a particularly cheesy one and putting it in Ann’s mouth, since she was kind of pinned down by Oliver. Oliver looked at the food in fascination.  
“Sorry kiddo,” Leslie explained. “Roz already gave you your dinner. But are you excited to watch Grease?”  
Oliver let out a loud exclamation of some sort, and that made the two women laugh loudly.  
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Leslie said, before turning to set it up on the TV.  
Ann watched her, smiling softly. She reached over and tucked some of Leslie's hair behind her ear. “Hey.”  
“Yeah?”  
“I love you.”  
Leslie looked at her. “I love you too.”  
“Also, how much do you want to bet that Fireman Keith totally saw us kissing?”  
“Oh, he definitely did.”  
Ann laughed. “Lucky him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	99. The Concussion Crew

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leslie gets a concussion at work, but her girls are there for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried to keep this one lighthearted but obviously in real life head injuries aren't actually a laughing matter  
> With that said, hope you enjoy

Leslie knew the morning wasn’t going to start out right when she went to print her report and there was no paper in the printer. Usually, that kind of thing wouldn’t bother her, but today, she was feeling like every tiny thing was going to get on her nerves.   
She hadn’t slept well. Oliver was crying all night, as his teeth were coming through, and she and Ann had barely got any rest whatsoever. They alternated between comforting him, and trying to sleep in another room, but to no avail. It had been a totally sleepless night in the Perkins-Knope household.  
Leslie huffed in irritation as she walked to the supply cupboard. And _of course_ there was no stool for her to stand on. She had a vague memory of her newest employee Ed- a total dingus, by all accounts- taking the stool for something. And, apparently he didn’t put it back. Because why would he put it back?

She let out a soft sigh, then looked around for another stool, but there wasn’t one. So instead, she had to stand on the tip of her toes to try and reach the box.   
If she was less tired, she would have probably thought of a better solution, like ask a taller member of staff to help her out. Ann was right when she said that she was tiny- it really was an inconvenience at times.  
She just had her fingertips on the edge of the box, which was underneath a bigger box, when she stumbled, losing her footing. This caused the bigger box to come crashing down. Leslie felt a shock of pain as it hit the back of her head, before it landed on the floor.

Leslie felt stars in her eyes, and very swiftly felt her whole body feel one million percent worse.   
Her ears were ringing.Okay- pain. That’s fun.   
She bent over, taking a deep breath. The pain didn’t exactly go away, but it also didn’t exactly get worse. Leslie swallowed. Things felt fuzzy and weird. It felt like she was in some kind of a bubble, or maybe wading through cement.  
She didn’t exactly remember the walk from the store cupboard back to her desk, or anything leading up to it. Then she was aware of sitting at the desk with her head in her hands when she heard someone loudly clearing their throat.

“What's up?”  
Leslie looked up at her. “April?”  
April frowned. “Yeah.”  
“Why are you here?”  
“You… called me in here.”  
“Oh yes! Right. I need the um…” she trailed off, before chuckling. “Ha. I actually can’t remember.”  
April edged forwards slightly. “Is your brain broken? Have you been possessed?”  
“I don’t know,” Leslie replied slowly. “Maybe.”  
April folded her arms. “You look really weird.”  
“Says you. There’s like _four_ of you right now.”  
April turned around and walked out the room, heading for Donna.   
“Donna,” she said quickly. “I know you were visiting me so we could go to lunch, but I think we need to tell Ann how weird Leslie is acting.”  
Donna craned her neck into Leslie’s office. “Uh, yeah, good call.”  
“Really?”  
“Yeah. She just threw up in her trash can.” She turned to April. “Go and get Ann. I’ll make sure she doesn’t choke on her own tongue.”

***

Ann was stifling a yawn when April walked into her office. Ann couldn’t even get in a “hello” before April started to speak.  
“Leslie is acting really weird,” April said quickly. “I don’t know, you should probably come down.”  
Ann was on her feet immediately. “What do you mean by weird? Is she okay?”  
“I don't know- she’s speaking really slowly. She said she could see four of me. She forgot what she was talking about mid-sentence.”   
The two of them were walking quickly down the corridor and as April listed off the problems. Meanwhile, Ann’s nurse brain was whirring into action.  
“Did she say that anything had happened?”  
“No. But she also threw up.” April glanced at Ann. “Sorry.”  
“No, I need to know. Thank you for coming to get me.”  
“It’s okay. It’s just a bit…” April trailed off, and Ann looked at her.  
“What?”  
“I don’t know. Scary?” April swallowed. “Sorry.”  
Ann didn’t think she had ever heard April apologise to her in her life. If she wasn’t so concerned for her wife, she would have been rubbing it in her face. Instead, she just shook her head slightly.  
“It’s fine.”

***

When they got into Leslie’s office, Donna was stood next to Leslie, sipping from her cup and watching her. Leslie was now sat on the desk, but was squinting at Donna.  
“Why can’t I move?” Leslie asked, sound peturbed.   
“For the last time, nothing is keeping you fixed to the desk. I just asked you to not leave.”  
Donna turned and saw Ann and April burst in, and she sighed- partly in relief, partly due to irritation.   
“Thank god. I don’t know how much more of this jabbering nonsense I can handle.”  
Donna moved to stand next to April, while Ann closed the gap and was cupping Leslie’s face with her hands.   
“Leslie?” Ann asked. Leslie took a second before she smiled.  
“Ann! Hey! It’s wife!”  
Ann smiled at her. “Hey, honey.”  
“I feel really weird.”  
“April told me. Have you hit your head?”  
While Leslie paused to answer, Ann was checking her over. She was definitely acting strangely, her pupils were dilated, and she was struggling to focus.   
“A box fell on me in the store cupboard. But I was… _totally_ fine.”  
Ann let out a short breath. “Did it hit your head?”  
“Mmmmm…yes.”  
“Okay. Thank you for telling me,” Ann told her. She inspected her head- there was a lump, but no signs of blood. “Does it still hurt?”  
“Yes. Only when I touch it though. Oh, and when I don’t touch it.”

Ann turned to look at April and Donna, who looked worried.  
“She’s definitely concussed. I need to drive her to the hospital straight away.”  
“Okay, how about _I_ drive so that you can keep your eye on her,” Donna replied instantly. Ann smiled at her.  
“Thank you Donna. April- do you want to come with?”  
April shifted her weight from foot to foot. “Sure.”  
Ann could tell April was uncomfortable. “You don’t have to-”  
“No. I will.”  
Leslie smiled at Ann. “Wait, everyone’s coming?”  
“Everyone’s coming,” Ann confirmed, feeling her heart melt a little as Leslie smiled.   
"Cool! We can be the... the Concussion Crew!"  
Ann heard April snort beside her, and decided to get back to the matter at hand. “Right. Do you think you can stand?”  
Leslie paused to consider. “I don’t know. I… I feel really sick.” She winced. “Donna, did I throw up?”  
“Yep,” Donna replied. “Twice.”  
Leslie winced again. “I’m sorry.”  
“No problem, Knope.”  
“Okay honey,” Ann said slowly. “We’re going to take this slow.”  
She looped her arm around Leslie’s back to keep her steady, before easing Leslie into a standing position. Leslie swayed, but then Donna was on her other side, keeping her steady. Ann almost wanted to cry at the gesture, as did Leslie, who beamed.  
"Donna! It's like we're hugging, I love it." Then she grimaced, briefly putting her head in the crook of Ann's neck. Ann knew that meant that she felt really bad, or she wouldn't be letting her guard down that much in front of her friends. She decided to come up with some kind of a plan.  
“Donna,” Ann instructed. “You’re going to help me with Leslie. April, can you bring the trash can in case she needs to be sick again?”  
“Okay but I’m burning it afterwards.”

The four of them made their way out of the office at a slow and steady pace. Ann was glad that it was a quiet afternoon, because otherwise they would be faced with gawking employees. Instead, their trip to the elevator was pretty much empty.  
“Remember when we got trapped in here?” Leslie slurred as the doors shut.   
“I do,” Ann replied. “And you made me feel so safe.”  
“Yeah,” April added. “And I had the power of whether you lived or died. Remember that, Leslie?”  
“Yeah!”  
Ann would have rolled her eyes, but she knew that April was trying to keep Leslie engaged and awake, which was the best thing to do.   
It was a slightly agonizing trip in the elevator, with it taking much longer than Ann would have liked. Leslie was groaning slightly, which was upsetting. And while Donna was a stoic presence beside her, Ann could feel April getting anxious from here.

Finally, the elevator doors opened to the ground floor, where they were met with Jerry and Ron.  
“What’s going on?” Ron asked, just as Leslie pitched forwards and vomited all over Jerry’s shoes.  
Ann caught Leslie as she sagged, before shooting April a look.  
“April! You had the trash can for a reason!”  
“Whoops,” April muttered.  
“Oh jeez!” Jerry exclaimed.  
“Oh no, Jerry,” Leslie mumbled. “Sorry.”  
Jerry hesitated. “That’s okay Leslie. No harm done.”  
Ann went back to check on Leslie, and April could hear her murmuring comforting things to her under her breath. Leslie was nodding, and April felt like she was intruding even though all of them were crowded around Leslie.  
“What’s going on?” Ron repeated.  
“Leslie hit her head,” Donna explained. “She’s concussed, so we’re driving her to the hospital.”  
Ron nodded. “We won’t keep you.”  
“Ron!” Leslie said loudly, making them all jump. “We don’t talk enough anymore but I love you.”  
April’s eyebrows shot up, and Ron just coughed.   
“Why don’t you guys get going,” he replied. “And keep us updated.”  
Ann nodded, urging them to move on. She knew Ron would agree that now was not the time for any mushy declarations of love. They continued their journey towards Donna’s car.

***

“Are you sure you want me in here?” Leslie asked, surprisingly lucid as they buckled her in.  
“As long as you have the trash can in front of you and no barf gets in the Benz, we’re good.”  
Leslie was sat in the middle seat, with Ann and April on either side. Ann’s hands were on her face, in her hair, it felt like they were everywhere. April was squeezing Leslie’s hand, but she wasn’t sure that Leslie had noticed.  
“Ann,” Leslie moaned. “I feel… bad.”  
“I know baby,” Ann replied. “You’ve done so well though.”  
“I would have told you straight away,” Leslie replied. “I promise. I… I didn’t realise.”  
Ann could sense she was getting worked up, and that wasn’t good.  
“I know,” she soothed. “It’s okay. April noticed.”  
“Yeah,” April said quickly. “You were being weird, and it was awesome.”  
“Thanks April,” Leslie said softly. “You’re an excellent employee.” Her voice got louder. “As are you, Donna.”  
“I don’t work for you,” Donna cut in. “But thanks.”  
Leslie turned to Ann. “Ann, you’re my best wife.”

Ann’s worry for Leslie was (almost) overtaken by a rush of love for her wife.  
“Aww.” Ann replied. “You’re _my_ best wife too.”   
Leslie smiled, before very quickly frowning. “Ann.”  
“Yeah?” Ann asked, her face darkening. “What is it?”  
“I don’t…” Leslie took a shallow breath. “I think…”  
Before anyone could react, Leslie was slumping forwards.   
“Oh god,” April said loudly. “Ann, what do we do?”   
Ann very quickly was back in nurse mode. Best wife mode would have to wait, because Leslie was now unconscious next to her. April was the one to help her shift Leslie upwards, and then Ann was moving her hair out of her face and speaking to her softly, ever the calming presence.

“Leslie? You’re okay. Can you wake up for me?”  
Leslie, thankfully, blinked up at her. “What happened?”   
“You passed out, babe,” Ann replied. “Not for long.”  
“Oh.”  
“Can you tell me how you’re feeling?”  
“I feel…” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Still pretty bad.”  
“Okay, well, we’re nearly there, okay? I need you to try to stay awake. Can you do that?”  
“I’ll try,” Leslie groaned. “To the best of my ability.”   
“Leslie,” April said slowly. “Do you need some water or whatever? I have some here.”  
Leslie shook her head. “Sorry April, I’ll be sick. Also, I can’t pay you back.”  
April just looked at her, confused.   
“We’re here,” Donna announced. “if you guys get out here, I’ll find a parking space.”

Ann very slowly helped Leslie out of the car, and then Donna was speeding off. Ann and April were holding up Leslie, who was unsteady on her feet and seemed very distant.  
“April,” Ann instructed. “Can you go and get a wheelchair from the emergency room, please?”  
April darted off, and Ann and Leslie were left stood by a wall. Leslie leant against it.  
“Leslie?” Ann asked. “Can you hear me?”  
“Mhm,” Leslie replied. “It’s beautiful Ann talking.”  
“It is,” Ann replied. “We’re at the hospital and we’re going to treat your concussion.”  
“Thank you,” Leslie replied. “I’m excited for you to treat my constitution. Hey- we should just... go for it. Life."  
Ann laughed through the stress. "Oh yeah?"  
"Yeah. You're so beautiful. And... we should just have a life together, y'know?"  
“How many of me can you see?”  
“Just one,” Leslie replied weakly. “Shame.”  
Leslie leant against Ann, who continually checked her vitals. Leslie could feel herself slipping away again, and maybe Ann noticed, because then she was calling to April, who was hurrying over to them. Her hand was on Leslie’s back.  
“Are you okay?” Ann asked, trying not to sound anxious.   
“Nope,” Leslie replied. “It’s a good job we’re next to a hospital, huh.”   
She fell, but Ann was there to catch her.

***

_“Listen, Chris, it’s fine. I’ve got it all under control. Yes. Yes, it’s fine. I’ll keep you updated.”_

Leslie registered a voice filtering through the haze she found herself in.

_“No, I don’t need to talk about it, I just thought I’d tell you.”_

There was a pause.

_“Well, we’re in a hospital already, and I am a nurse. I know. Okay, bye.”_

Leslie realised she was lying on a hospital bed. She could tell from the smell of the room- her own room smelled much sweeter.   
She opened her eyes and was very relieved to see Ann Perkins sitting next to her, putting her phone in her pocket.   
Leslie took a deep, all-encompassing breath, to try and get her brain in order, and Ann looked up in surprise. She saw Leslie was awake and her eyes lit up.   
“Leslie!”  
God, she was beautiful.  
“I love you,” Leslie murmured.  
Ann smiled, and was quickly leaning down to cup her face. The two kissed softly. “I love you too. How are you feeling?”   
“I’m… How did… _What?_ ”  
“You’re okay,” Ann soothed. She put her hand in Leslie’s hair, stroking calmly.  
“I am?” Leslie asked, confused.   
“You are.”  
“Who- who were you talking to?”  
“Chris,” Ann replied.  
“Chris? Chris Traeger? From _work_?”  
“Yeah,” Ann replied gently. “Donna explained the situation to everyone, they’ve all been checking in.”

“What happened?” Leslie asked. The last thing she remembered was throwing up in a car.  
“You passed out, honey. You had a bad concussion.”   
Leslie looked at her in genuine surprise. “Woah, seriously?”  
Ann nodded. “But hey, you’re okay. April, Donna and I brought you in, and they’ve done some checks. You might have to have an MRI, but you’re safe and you're with me.”  
“So… you’re saying you healed me with your magical nurse powers?” Leslie asked.   
Ann laughed, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “Yeah, sure. I’m just glad you’re okay.”  
Leslie’s bottom lip wobbled. “Are _you_ okay?”   
Ann nodded again. “I’m fine, honestly. Just glad to see you awake.”  
“What about Donna and April?”  
“I think April was a bit freaked out. She’s gone to the vending machine. Donna had to get back to her job, but she said she would be back later.”  
Leslie sighed. “I’m sorry.”  
“Leslie, how is any of that your fault?”  
“If I wasn’t so tired, I wouldn’t have tried to get a box down without a _stool_.”  
Ann chuckled, and Leslie could tell she was tired as well. They were both so tired.  
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re speaking coherent sentences again.”  
Leslie frowned. “What… what do you mean?”  
Ann hesitated. “Nothing. Doesn’t matter.”

The nurse came into the room then, followed by April, and Ann was glad she didn’t have to explain to her wife that she had been coming out with bizarre nonsense.  
The nurse checked her over, looking at her pupils and reaction times, and told her that there was a major improvement.   
“We’re going to do an MRI just in case,” she explained, before looking at Ann, who nodded.  
“That seems like a good idea.”  
Leslie swallowed. “Okay. Let’s just be quick.”  
She didn’t have to explain to anyone how nerve-wracking that was, and Ann squeezing her hand made her feel a lot better.  
“Is that like a big metal thing you lie in?” April asked, speaking for the first time.  
“Yeah,” Ann nodded.   
“I’ve actually had one already,” Leslie told them as the nurse helped her off the bed and into the wheelchair. “Remember that _really_ bad date?”  
Ann grimaced. “Don’t remind me. I still feel guilty about that.”  
April smirked. “You should.”  
Ann snorted. April really had been freaking out. When Leslie collapsed and didn’t wake up, Ann was worried for a second that April might pass out as well. But she kept calm- or did her best to, anyway, and it had actually been really good to have somebody else with her.   
April caught her eye and smiled.

***

Leslie was still in a bit of pain and wobbly, but the MRI experience was totally fine. It helped that Leslie had done one before, because the whole time she was incredibly pleased that, this time round, she didn’t have an irritating man telling her that her womb could produce triplets right off the bat. What a weird thing to tell someone, anyway! If she ever had triplets, she would be finding him and cursing him and his family.   
When it was all over, the nurse told Leslie and Ann that Leslie was free to go home.  
“You just need rest,” she said. “And limit yourself to activities that don’t take much concentration.”  
“So no work?” Leslie asked, slightly put out. The nurse looked at Ann.  
“I thought- I thought that would be obvious.”  
Ann rolled her eyes. “She likes to make absolutely sure. Any loopholes and she’d be doing as much work as possible. I’m not kidding.”  
“Hey!” Leslie argued. “I was just _asking_ , I’m not going to _do_ any.”  
“You totally were,” April muttered. “I’m here as witness and I will kill you if you do any work.”  
Leslie huffed. “Fine.”

When they got outside the hospital, Donna was waiting for them.  
“Knope!” she called through the open window. “You’re looking better!”  
“Donna!” Leslie called. “You came back to pick us up?”  
“Of course I did,” Donna replied. “Us girls have to stick together. Even when you are throwing up in my ‘Benz.”  
Leslie paled. “I didn’t get it on the upholstery, did I?”  
Ann frowned at Donna’s laughing face. “Donna!” She turned to Leslie. “You didn’t.”  
“Yes you did,” April joined in.  
“ _No she didn’t_ ,” Ann scolded. “Honestly, can we at least _act_ like she’s recovering from a concussion?”  
Leslie laughed then, and soon all four of them were laughing. April moved to sit in the passenger seat, and Ann and Leslie sat in the back.   
“Everyone sends their love,” Donna told Leslie as she drove them home. “When I went to see Ron before, he was building five new stools to put on that floor, so there wasn't just the one.”  
Ann’s eyes widened. “He what? It's only been a few hours!”  
“Yep,” Donna replied, popping the p. “Guess he must care about you a little bit, Knope.”  
Leslie blushed. “That’s… really nice.”  
“No it isn’t,” April groaned. “That’s gross. I think we should just build a fireman’s pole. You have to shimmy up it to get the stuff on the top shelves, then you can slide all the way down.”  
“That sounds fun!” Leslie agreed.   
“No!” Ann cut in. “No! Stools are the only safe option here. Again- wife recovering from a concussion here. She has a free pass because she _has a concussion_ , but I won’t take any more nonsense today.”  
Leslie looked at Ann, smiling at her, and Ann gave her a tired smile back.

***

It was only half three when they got in. Roz, the babysitter, took her leave basically straight away, and Oliver was very excited to see his Moms, and his Mom’s friends.  
“Hey kid,” Donna said. “You’re looking as fly as ever.”  
“He looks like a demon baby,” April announced. “That’s a compliment,” she hurriedly added.  
Leslie sat on the sofa, and Ann got her an ice pack to put on her head, as a headache was brewing.  
“Guys,” Leslie said. “I just want to say thank you all so much. Without you all I’d be dead, probably.”  
“It’s fine,” April replied. “It was hilarious.” April felt Ann’s eyes on her. “And… I’m glad you’re okay.”  
“Me too,” Donna said. “It’s weird not seeing you at the top of your game. You gonna’ take the next few days off?”  
“Yeah,” Leslie replied. “At least two days.”  
“Good,” Donna said. “Well, we’re always here for you.”  
“I wish I could pay you back somehow,” Leslie whined.  
“Leslie,” April said with a scowl on her face. “You’re nice to us, like, one million percent of the time. Just let us be your friends.”  
Leslie laughed. “Okay, fine.”

***

Once April and Donna left, Leslie let herself relax a little bit more. Ann could tell she had her guard up slightly, just because she was still stressed and a little confused, but once they were gone, she watched Leslie melt into the couch.   
Ann sat down next to her, and let Leslie put her head in her lap. Oliver crawled onto Leslie’s stomach and set up camp there, making both the women laugh. He was in a perkier mood than the night before- Roz said he finally got some sleep at lunchtime, which made one of them.

“Oh god, Ann…”  
Ann leaned down to kiss Leslie’s forehead, before slowly running her hand through Leslie's blonde hair. “What is it?”  
“It’s been a weird day. Are you okay?”  
“I’m fine,” Ann replied. “A bit tired. A bit worried. How are you?”  
“I’m okay,” Leslie promised. “Thanks to my wife and my girls.”  
“Your best wife?” Ann asked with a small chuckle. Leslie scrunched up her face.  
“I mean, you’re my only wife. What do you mean?”  
Ann just rolled her eyes fondly. “Never mind. I love you.”  
“I love you too,” Leslie said, loving how Oliver was snuggling on her chest. “I’m sorry if I worried you today.”  
“It’s not your fault,” Ann told her. “I’m just glad you’re okay. What do you want to do now?”  
“Well,” Leslie said slowly. “I need to have two full days of rest _or else_ , so… sleep?”  
“Sleep sounds perfect.”  
The three of them lay on the couch, resting together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
